Warm reaction to UN resolution across world

Countries across the world lauded Saturday the resolution adopted by the UN Security Council calling for an end to the war between Israel and Hizbullah.

French President Jacques Chirac welcomed the adoption Friday by the UN Security Council of a resolution calling for a cessation of hostilities between Israel and Hizbullah.

"I hail the unanimous adoption tonight by the UN Security Council of a resolution calling for a complete cessation of hostilities in Lebanon," he said in a statement released by his office.

Meanwhile, the European Union's foreign policy chief Javier Solana said: "It (the resolution) has taken probably too long a time to arrive at, but now it is approved unanimously by the Security Council," Solana told reporters in Beirut, where he met Prime Minister Fouad Siniora and other Lebanese officials.

"I hope that once the governments of both countries accept the resolution, the ceasefire will be implemented," he added.

German Chancellor Angela Merkel also welcomed the resolution, adding that "it has proven that the international community is determined to end the military operations in Lebanon." Merkel noted that the next step would be to implement the resolution swiftly.

New Zealand: Ready to send peacekeeping forces to region

Australia and New Zealand on Saturday welcomed the resolution, but while New Zealand's government said it was ready to send peacekeeping troops to the Middle East, a majority of Australians said they would not support sending forces to the region.

"I welcome the unanimous adoption today of United Nations Security Council Resolution 1701 calling for the full cessation of hostilities in the conflict between Israel and Hezbollah," Australia's Foreign Minister Alexander Downer said in a statement.

"This resolution does not mean the end to the crisis. This will not occur until the underlying causes of the conflict are resolved," He added.

However, a random telephone poll of 676 Australians taken over two days this week found that 51 percent said they would not support sending Australian troops to the region. Forty-four percent said the government should send troops, while the remaining 5 percent were undecided. The Australian government has not yet indicated whether it will send troops.

Thousands of demonstrators gathered in Australia's largest city, Sydney, on Saturday calling for an immediate withdrawal of Israeli troops from Lebanon. Meanwhile, New Zealand Prime Minister Helen Clark said her country is "ready to consider what role we might play in an expanded UN presence in southern Lebanon." Clark said reaching agreement on the resolution had been "Protracted and difficult" And its implementation was likely to be equally trying.

"The onus now lies on the governments of Lebanon and Israel to accept the resolution as the basis for moving forward," She said. "I call on all parties involved in this tragic conflict, as well as the wider international community, to use their influence to help bring peace and a lasting solution."

Japan, China also praise UN

Japan and China also welcomed the resolution.

"Japan has been calling for an immediate ceasefire to avoid further civilian victims and deterioration of the situation," The Foreign Ministry said in a statement.

"Japan welcomes the unanimous adoption of the Security Council resolution."

Japan will also continue to call on all parties to realize the cease-fire and agree on a political framework, as stated in the resolution, the statement said. Looking ahead, Japan said it will also contribute actively to restoring peace and stability in the region, but did not give details.

China, one of the council's permanent five veto-wielding members, "Welcomes and supports the resolution," the official Xinhua News Agency said, citing the Chinese Foreign Ministry. "China hopes concerned sides will implement the Security Council resolution in a tangible manner, resume peace and stability in the Middle East region at an early date," The ministry said.

Xinhua also quoted China's deputy UN ambassador, Liu Zhenmin, as saying the resolution "formed a good