New York (VNA) – Vietnam has called on Israel and Palestine to stop violence, respect international laws and asked Israel to immediately lift its blockade and embargo on the Palestinians.

Addressing the meeting of the United Nations Security Council on the Middle East situation in New York on April 23, Vietnamese representative Ambassador Le Luong Minh expressed his concern over the attacks on both Palestinian and Israeli civilians and violations of international laws, especially international humanitarian and human rights laws.

The Vietnamese diplomat said he was disappointed with the actions of Israel in continuing to deploy military campaigns to penetrate into occupied Palestinian territory. He also expressed his concern over Israel illegally building residential areas for Jewish people and the Wall in the West Bank , holding thousands of Palestinian prisoners and imposing blockade throughout the region.

However, Ambassador Minh hailed some positive developments in settling the Israel-Palestine conflict. He noted the resumption of direct negotiations after almost two months of intensification of violence, the further steps taken by the Palestinian Authority to enhance national unity, security and socio-economic development and the decision of the Israeli Government to issue new permits for Palestinians in the West Bank to work in Israel .

Minh commended the Declaration of the 20th Arab Summit on March 30, 2008 which reaffirmed the support to the establishment of an independent Palestinian State with East Jerusalem as its capital.

On the issue of troubled Lebanon, the Vietnamese diplomat voiced his support to the intermediary role of the League of Arab States and asked concerned parties to increase dialogue to seek stabilization and organisation of the presidential election as scheduled.

The diplomat said he was concerned about continued Israeli violations of Lebanon’s airspace and its hindrance to the activities of the United Nations Interim Force in Lebanon (UNIFIL).

He took the occasion to emphasise the importance of the strict implementation of the UN Security Council’s Resolution 1701 (2006) on the basis of respecting Lebanon’s sovereignty independence and territorial integrity.