Dergham: Thank you, I suppose we should start with the Palestinian Parliament overwhelmingly approving the Unity Government, the new Palestinian Unity Government. This has been applauded, but it seems that the Israeli's are saying that they will not recognize, nor will they deal with such a government. Where does this put us? What impact will it have?

SG: I have been closely following the situation and also noting with a great interest in the formation of this Unity Government. It is a positive development; however I am disappointed by what the Palestinian Unity Government said about these principles laid out by the Quartet. I hope that this new Government will abide by these principles, three principles: recognizing Israel's right to exist, nonviolence and adhering to all previous agreements.

What about the Israelis refusing to deal with the newly approved Unity Government; is that a disappointing matter for you?

SG: Again, it would be important for all parties concerned to engage in dialogue as well as encouraging this peace process. The peace process in the Middle East has always been frustrating and changing. There have many ups and downs. The peace process has been always fragile and we need to nurture this fragile peace process.

You called for the International Community to, your word, "encourage" the peace process, what action do you have in mind?

SG: I am going to engage in dialogue with Palestinian President Mahmoud Abbas and also Israeli Prime Minister and other Israeli government leaders. I will also discuss this matter with many leaders of the countries in the Region. In that regard my participation in the League of Arab States Summit meeting will provide me a good opportunity to meet many leaders in the Region.
 
What are you taking with you on this issue?

SG: I'm going to-first of all assess the situation and listen to their views. At the same time I would like to express my own views. As Secretary-general of the United Nations, I am willing to contribute myself to the ongoing peace process as one of the principles of the Quartet. I'm also going to very closely coordinate with other Quartet members.

You just said you want to  "contribute" but you also said a few days ago "I would like to make my own contribution." You keep speaking about that. What do you mean? What do you have as your own contribution?

SG: I have actively participated in Quartet process. I have been speaking with the leaders of the Region in the Middle East including  Saudi Arabia, and the Prime Minister of Israel, and the President of the Palestinian Authority President Abbas and many others leaders such as the Prime Minister of Lebanon. This kind of Diplomatic initiative will be continued on my part in close coordination with the leaders in the Region.

So you are not bringing something completely new to the table to push it forward-given the developments? You are endorsing what has already been established. You are not bring something new to it when you say "my own contribution."

SG: At this time I'm not going to propose any new ideas, but we have the Mecca Deal and we have a reenergized the Quartet process. The Arabs are engaging on both. We have now seen the launch of a National Unity Government . At this time, I would strongly urge the national Unity Government o abide by all of these principles.

I'm going to have to push you on this. I understand your disappointment and your emphasis on what the National Unity Government has to do, but I also want to hear-with your permission-what do you want to say to the Israeli government. Do you not think that they have the responsibility also to engage in one way or another?

SG: The Israelis and all other parties concerned have obligations to comply with Security Council Resolutions and all important international agreements. What we need to do is a building block on the basis of many principles and agreements.

Mr. Secretary-General there is an Arab initiative. At the upcoming Summit in Riyadh, it is apparently expected that this Arab initiative would be enhanced and re-launched. There are International initiatives and plans from Road Maps to a vision. But there is no Israeli initiative? Is it time that the Israeli's either come up with their own initiative or engage with any of those??

SG This Arab peace initiative is a very important and significant one. It's one of the Pillars for the peace process in the Middle East. Part of the process has built building blocks on the basis of this; the Israelis have also shown some positive responses to this Arab peace initiative even though they have expressed some reservations We hope that they should try to find some common principles which have been agreed in the past and should build upon these principles to build more and more secure situations in the Middle East.

Some leaders, including for example the King of Jordan, King Abdullah, he went to Washington and said-speaking really in the name of Moderation in the Arab world-saying if we don't do something now about the Palestinian issue, the lost opportunity will have consequences that are rather dangerous. Do you agree? 

SG:  I agree on the point that we need to take certain actions urgently. It has already been six decades long. It is high time now that the international community-with the full and active participation and cooperation of the countries in the Region-do some action on this to find now mutually acceptable and agreeable solutions to this. I do not want to see any danger, or any further deterioration of the situation. We need to work for the peaceful resolution of this.

Without being afraid of the lost opportunity you mean?

SG: Yes, that's right.

You mentioned meetings during the Arab Summit, who will you meet with, other than of course participating in the Summit itself, which is already very important?

SG: I'm going to meet first of all with the King of Saudi Arabia, and I'm in the process of making individual meetings. These have been arranged; and it's my hope that I will be able to meet as many leaders as possible of the Region.

I understand that you'll be meeting the President of Lebanon in Riyadh not in Lebanon. Is that correct?

SG:  I'm not quite sure whether the President of Lebanon, Lahoud, is coming to Riyadh. If he comes, I'll certainly be happy to meet with him. If he is in Beirut, I'll also try to meet with him.

You are excluding Syria from your trip to the region; will you be meeting with Syrian President  Bashar al Assad in Riyadh?

SG:  Yes, I will be meeting with the President Assad in Riyadh and I think I now have more or less a formal commitment on this; and I'm also planning to visit Syria in the nearest possible future.

Why didn't you include Syria on this trip?

SG:  This time, I'm making six stops. I have very limited time available because of my schedule problems and difficulty. I left Syria for my future visit.

Is that when you go back for the Quartet next month? Is this what you mean?

SG : We have not yet been decided when and where the next Quartet meeting will be taking place. But we have agreed that the next Quartet should be held somewhere in the Region on the nearest possible date, sometime next month.   

One other thing before I get into the details of Lebanon. When you go to the Region again do you have in mind to go to Iran or Iraq?

SG:  I do not have any plan at this time at this time, but they maybe considered in due course.

Mr. Secretary-General, let me get some details on the issue of Lebanon. I know that you care a lot about this issue and you have been very engaged. Let me start with Shebaa Farms. In the last report-the 1701 report-you said in June maybe you'll be finished, your specialists will finish telling us where these Farms belong, whether they're Lebanese or Syrian. Have you been discussing with Syrians the idea of drawing the borders-defining the borders with Lebanon-in order to really just solve this problem and put it to rest.

SG:  It is true that the Security Council in its resolution 1701 requested the Secretary  General to develop plans to discuss about delineation of this border; where the security border is not certain or disputed- including the area of the Shebaa Farms. My predecessor SG Kofi Annan has appointed a senior cartographer who is now working there. He has made, I think, good progress so far. He has been examining all the documents and maps. And he has been making progress so far. And it is my expectation that we will be able to make further reports by the end of June. 

Right, but what about your discussions? I understand that the Syrian Ambassador has come up to see you more than once, two, three times.

SG:  I met him two or three times in person.

And what have you been saying to him Mr. Secretary-General?

SG:  We have discussed in general the situation of Lebanon, but I have not discussed in detail about the Shebaa Farms.

Kofi Annan, the former Secretary-General, had said that he had been getting promises from the Syrians that they would deliver positively. Have they given you any such promises on the issue delineation of borders to begin with for example?

SG:  The Syrian Ambassador has given me assurances of a full cooperation and that they will be constructively engaged in all the discussions on the Middle East including the Lebanese situation.

Specifically, on the delineation of borders: according to certain resolutions by the Security Council, you do know of course that there is one that calls for the delineation of borders and an exchange for diplomatic representations. Have you not been pushing on that? Have you not personally been saying that "these are Resolutions, we need to implement them?"

SG:  I will not dwell on all these detailed matters which I have discussed ......

Is it your position that they should?

SG:  As a matter of principle, I have been urging all of the parties concerned to fully cooperate, to render their fullest possible cooperation in implementing this 1701.

Speaking of 1701, of course there is the element of the borders which you've touched on in your report. You suggested that the Security Council looks into establishing Monitoring; what do you have in mind?

SG:  There is some allegations that there is some arms smuggling and we need to address some problems of capacity building of the Lebanese Armed Forces because of it's long border. We are now discussing this matter between UNIFIL Force Commander and Lebanese Armed Forces how to strengthen the border control capacity.

So the monitoring you're suggesting is on the Lebanese border, or the Syrian border?

SG:  This I think include these border lines.

And what about the independent military assessment you suggested; is this to establish that there's been in fact violations on the border by arms smuggling? Is this what you have in mind? And who would establish it-would you be the party to do so or the Security Council?

SG:  UNIFIL Commander and the Lebanese Armed Forces Commander are discussing this matter in detail. I am not going to discuss this matter more in detail.

But the evidence you got about the smuggling-arms smuggling-is it convincing?

SG:  I have not any hard proof or evidence on this. There were such suggestions or allegations that arms smuggling have taken place. We are taking very seriously strengthening the Monitoring systems.

The tribunal, the International Tribunal, how detrimental it is that it must be had? Given the fact that the United Nations has established an Independent Investigation of the assassination of the former Prime Minister and other assassinations that are proven related to it, how detrimental, how important, how essential is the establishment of the tribunal?

SG:  It is crucially essential that we must establish the special tribunal as soon as possible in accordance with the Security Council Resolution. As you said, the investigation has taken place smoothly,  including all other 15 cases besides the case of the assassination of former Prime Minister Hariri's. Without establishing the special tribunal, this investigation into the assassination of Hariri case will not be able to bring justice. The United Nations has taken all necessary administrative measures; now it is for the Lebanese authorities to take Constitutional procedures so that this will be ratified as soon as possible.

And if that doesn't conclude, if that process does not conclude in the way that it should, to establish the tribunal which is already a Treaty pending Ratification-Chapter 7?

SG:  It is too early and too premature to talk about anything except that we must take necessary measures to establish this special tribunal.

Two last quick questions, because I feel my time is running out.
On Iran: President Ahmedinejad may be coming here to the United Nations; do you think a wise thing for him to do given that there's going to be a strengthening of Sanctions.

SG:  I'm not in a position to make any judgment on what the Iranian President and government have made with their own decision. At this time I would only urge the Iranian authorities to engage in dialogue and negotiation with the International Community led by the European Union plus 3. It is important for the Iranian government to fully comply with the security council resolution. I know that the Members of the Security Council are actively discussing a second sanction resolution.

And finally on Darfur: you must expect of the Arabs at the Arab Summit to do something, because that has been a very important issue for the United Nations. It has become almost an accusation against the United Nations for not doing something about Darfur. What would you like the Arab Summit to deliver on Darfur?

SG:  It is unfair to accuse or criticize the United Nations for the lack of progress in Darfur. I have taken all possible initiatives and I have been doing my best effort, with the highest priority on this issue. It is regretful that President Omar Beshir has made a series of reservations on my joint-proposal done in close coordination with Chairman of the African Union.
The political track dialogue has been going on, and I have instructed my special envoy, Mr. Eliasson and African Union envoy Mr. Salim Yo visit Sudan again. I have taken my own diplomatic initiative to talk to many African leaders over the phone, so that they can also persuade President Bechir. Recently I have spoken to the President of Nigeria who said he would be going to Sudan himself to talk this matter with Sudanese President. I am doing my best efforts, and I'm also discussing the ways and means to facilitate humanitarian assistance to many people who are suffering from this situation.

So you need every help from the Arab Summit and others, I guess. Thank you very much Mr. Secretary-General for your time.

SG: Thank you very much. It has been my pleasure.