§ Mr. Ivan LewisTo ask the Secretary of State for Foreign and Commonwealth Affairs what assessment he has made of the number of Syrian troops stationed in Lebanon. [155453]
§ Mr. WilsonWe believe that under the terms of the Treaty of Friendship, Co-operation and Co-ordination signed by the Lebanese and Syrian Governments in May 1991, there are between 21,000 and 22,000 Syrian troops in Lebanon.
Mr. Gareth R. ThomasTo ask the Secretary of State for Foreign and Commonwealth Affairs what recent discussions he has had with his European counterparts regarding the presence of Hezbullah in Southern Lebanon. [155759]
§ Mr. WilsonWe work closely with our EU partners on Middle East issues. We and the EU are in constant dialogue with the Lebanese Government calling on it to
assert its effective authority and maintain law and order throughout its territory up to the line identified by the United NationsAs stated in the UN Secretary General's report on the United Nations Interim force in Lebanon of 22 January 2001.