President Michel Aoun told US Assistant Secretary of State for Near Eastern Affairs David Schenker that "Lebanon hopes that the United States will resume its mediation regarding the demarcation of land and sea borders in the south, where it stopped with Ambassador David Satterfield, especially that few points remain in terms of negotiations."
Following a meeting in Baabda, President Aoun reiterated "Lebanon's commitment to UN Security Council Resolution 1701, while Israel does not stop its aggression against Lebanese sovereignty." “Any Israeli escalation will destabilize the border area," he warned. Concerning the Syrian Refugees case, Aoun told the US official that "Lebanon continues to facilitate the return of displaced Syrians and the number of voluntary returnees has reached 352,000." In this context, he called on the United States to "help Lebanon facilitate the return of the displaced, namely as Lebanon can no longer bear the consequences of the Syrian displacement at all levels." "The United Nations and other humanitarian agencies must provide assistance to displaced people in Syria to help them return to their villages and lands," he added. President Aoun expressed concern that "the Syrian refugee file has become a political issue rather than a humanitarian one." For his part, Schenker told President Aoun that the US will keep its support for the stability of Lebanon, stressing "his readiness to strengthen bilateral relations and activate them in all areas, especially in terms of supporting the Lebanese Army and other security forces." He also stressed his country's readiness to "resume its efforts to demarcate the land and sea borders in southern Lebanon."