SECURITY COUNCIL CALLS FLIGHT OF LIBYAN AIRCRAFT TO JEDDAH CLEAR VIOLATION OF SANCTIONS REGIME
Press Release
SC/6352
SECURITY COUNCIL CALLS FLIGHT OF LIBYAN AIRCRAFT TO JEDDAH CLEAR VIOLATION OF SANCTIONS REGIME
19970404 In Presidential Statement, Council Draws Attention to States' Obligations under Resolution 748 (1992)The Security Council this afternoon cited the 29 March flight of a Libyan-registered aircraft from Tripoli to Jeddah, Saudi Arabia, as a clear violation of the sanctions imposed against Libya under its resolution 748 (1992) and called on its Government to refrain from any further violations of those sanctions.
In a statement read out by President Antonio Monteiro (Portugal), the Council recalled that arrangements had been made consistent with the sanctions regime in order to fly Libyan pilgrims to perform the Hajj. Calling the violation totally unacceptable, the Council requested its Committee monitoring the sanctions against Libya to draw the attention of Member States to their obligations under resolution 748 (1992) in the event of Libyan-registered aircraft landing in their territory.
Under the sanctions imposed by the resolution, which include a mandatory arms embargo, States shall deny permission to any aircraft to take off from, land in or overfly their territory if its is destined to land in or has taken off from the territory of Libya, unless the flight has been approved by the Committee on significant humanitarian grounds.
The meeting, which began at 1:13 p.m., was adjourned at 1:16 p.m.
Presidential Statement
The full text of the presidential statement, which will be issued as document S/PRST/1997/18, reads as follows:
"On 29 March 1997, a Libyan-registered aircraft flew from Tripoli, Libya, to Jeddah, Saudi Arabia. The Security Council considers this clear violation of Council resolution 748 (1992) of 31 March 1992 as totally unacceptable and calls on Libya to refrain from any further such violations. It recalls that arrangements have been made consistent with resolution 748 (1992) in order to fly Libyan pilgrims to perform the Hajj. The Council will review the matter should further violations occur.
"The Council has requested the Committee established pursuant to resolution 748 (1992) to draw to the attention of Members States their obligations under resolution 748 (1992) in the event that Libyan-registered aircraft land in their territory." * *** *