UN Security Council considers trip to Middle East 
Proposed trip would be first such collective visit to the region since 1979; goal would be to help Israeli-Palestinian peace process

By JORDANA HORN
09/02/2011 
JPost
http://www.jpost.com/International/Article.aspx?id=207508

  
NEW YORK – The United Nations Security Council is currently considering its first trip to the Middle East in over three decades in order to help the Israeli-Palestinian peace process.  

Ambassador of the Russian Federation to the UN Vitaly Churkin said Tuesday he made the proposal to the Security Council during consultations late last week. Churkin said in addition to Israel and the Palestinian territories, the 15-nation Council should try to visit Egypt, Syria and Lebanon. The Security Council has not collectively visited the region since 1979.


Russia is one of five permanent Security Council members, along with the United States, Britain, China and France, and is also part of the Quartet of Middle East peacemakers, which includes the US., the UN. and the European Union.

“We are making this proposal now because we are concerned about the situation in the Middle East,” Churkin said Tuesday. “As we all know, the efforts to restart the Israeli-Palestinian talks are at an impasse, and the situation in the region is quite fragile and is fraught with further possible complications.”

A Security Council diplomat told the Post, “Though the Council listened to the Russian proposal, serious questions were expressed by a number of countries about the timing and purpose of the trip. A number of Council members questioned whether such a trip would be harmful rather than helpful.”

The diplomat said that the meeting concluded with an agreement that countries would revert to capitals, and that consultations would continue on the prospective trip.