In Beirut this morning (Saturday) they received an answer from the American mediator on the maritime border issue with Israel.
US Ambassador Dorothy Shay met with President Michel Aon to update him on the latest developments in the Israeli response.
President of Lebanon Michel Aoun (archive), photo: AFP
The Lebanese president announced on his Twitter account that he received from the embassy the written message from the American mediator regarding the proposals related to the drawing of the maritime border.
Following this, he called Parliament Speaker Navia Berri and Prime Minister Najib Mikati to consult with them on how to move forward in the process in order to give an answer as soon as possible.
In the Land of Cedars, cautious optimism prevails regarding the settlement with Israel.
According to Lebanese sources, the hope is that Israel has responded positively to the proposal, according to which the issue of the security zone near the coast will remain open, and that the drawing of the maritime line will begin at a certain distance from the coast.
In Lebanon they still insist on line 23 (the original Lebanese position) as the basis of the border with changes in the Qana area, where there is a potential for finding a gas reservoir.
In return, Lebanon is supposed to recognize Israel's exclusive right to the Harish rig, located south of the 23rd line.
American broker Amos Hochstein, photo: EPA
But the looming minefield in the negotiations is the end of Lebanese President Michel Aoun's term at the end of October.
Aon was a relatively moderate factor in the indirect negotiations that took place over the years.
Thus, for example, he rejected the proposal that came from the Lebanese army to draw the border south of line 23, what is known as line 29. This proposal included part of the Shark field and would have complicated the negotiations with Israel.
Aon also enjoys a certain amount of trust from Hezbollah, and it is doubtful that he will find a replacement in the foreseeable future.
On Thursday, the first attempt to appoint a president in parliament failed.
Against this background, a source in Beirut confirmed to a Lebanese television channel that there is no problem if the planning of the agreement and its signing takes place by the end of President Michel Aoun's term at the end of October.
According to the source, there is no need for the President of the Republic to sign the final agreement because Lebanon does not sign a contract with Israel and does not officially recognize Israel's borders.
Therefore, all that will be achieved is the transfer of the documents and points to the UN. In other words, the contract will not be officially signed, but it may allow the parties to start drilling and gas exploration.
American mediator Hochstein with Lebanese President Michel Aoun at their last meeting, Photo: AFP/Archive
The draft agreement from Hochstein will be reviewed by President Aoun, Speaker of Parliament Navia Berri and Prime Minister Najib Mikati. After that, a legal-security committee will review it in all respects. According to sources in Lebanon, following this the parties will return to indirect talks in Nakura with American mediation. There will be an Israeli committee and a Lebanese committee that will examine all the points related to the issue of delineating the maritime border, in order to reach a final agreement.
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