A divided UN Security Council on Wednesday pressed Syria and Lebanon to establish formal diplomatic ties and clarify their shared border to help turn the page on decades of Syrian domination of its neighbour. China and Russia abstained from a 13-0 vote in the 15-member Security Council to implement fully a 2004 measure seeking an end to outside interference in Lebanon, which at the time had been under Syrian domination for 29 years.The 2004 text, Security Council Resolution 1559, calls for the withdrawal of all foreign forces from Lebanon, free and fair presidential elections, and the disarming of all militias so the government could extend its control to all of its territory. It has been only partly implemented.
US Ambassador John Bolton welcomed the vote, but acknowledged he would have preferred it to be unanimous. "It makes clear the burden is now on Syria" to respond to the Lebanese government's request for formal relations and a delineation of the border, Bolton told reporters. "It clearly says Syria needs to do more to stop the flow of weapons across the Syrian border." Council diplomats had predicted that Qatar and Argentina would either abstain or vote against the resolution, but both countries voted in favour of the measure drafted by France, the United States and Britain.