MOSCOW, August 14 (RIA Novosti) - Russia's foreign minister and the UN secretary general agreed during a telephone conversation Monday that a comprehensive settlement plan for the Middle East crisis must be reached, the Foreign Ministry said.
A ceasefire came into force between Israel and Islamic group Hizbollah this morning after a month of bloodshed that has devastated parts of Lebanon.
During the conversation between Sergei Lavrov and Kofi Annan, "particular stress was put on the need to draft proposals for a more comprehensive settlement plan," the ministry said.
"The latest developments in the Lebanese-Israeli conflict since the UN Security Council passed resolution 1701 have become a focus of attention," the statement said.
"Both sides emphasized the need for the countries involved to implement this crucial Security Council decision as soon as possible," the foreign ministry said.
The UN resolution adopted August 11 called for an immediate ceasefire in Lebanon starting from 5 a.m. GMT on August 14. But the bloodshed did not stop immediately, and one Hizbollah fighter was killed later in the day.
The resolution, which the ministry earlier called "a step toward resolving the Lebanese-Israeli conflict," also says the Israeli troops, which have advanced into Lebanon, should withdraw and give way to a Lebanese-UN force, which would control the southern regions, formerly Hizbollah's stronghold.
The conflict has claimed the lives of around 1,000 Lebanese civilians and forced about a quarter of the country's population to flee their homes since air strikes and missile attacks started on July 12 after the abduction of two Israeli soldiers. More than 150 Israelis, mostly soldiers, have been killed.
