WASHINGTON, Oct 31 (KUNA) -- Secretary of State Antony J. Blinken said the United States was working very hard and making progress on reaching understandings of what would be required for "the effective implementation" of UN Security Council Resolution 1701 on Lebanon.
"This would be the basis of a diplomatic resolution to the crisis," he said at a joint press conference with US Defense Secretary Lloyd J. Austin, South Korea's Foreign Affairs Minister Cho Tae-Yul and Defense Minister Kim Yong-Hyun on Thursday.
"It's important to make sure that we have clarity both from Lebanon and from Israel about what would be required under 1701 to get its effective implementation, the withdrawal of Hezbollah forces from the border, the deployment of the Lebanese Armed Forces, the authorities under which they'd be acting, an appropriate enforcement mechanism.
"And I can tell you that, based on my recent trip to the region, the work that's ongoing right now, we have made good progress on those understandings," he noted.
"We still have more work to do. But that's what's necessary to get us to a diplomatic resolution, including through a ceasefire," Blinken added. (end) rsr.gb