Aoun, Mikati and Berri meet over demarcation of maritime borders-[REPORT]

President Michel Aoun presided over a meeting at the Baabda Presidential Palace on Friday, which was attended by Speaker Nabih Berri and Prime Minister Najib Mikati.

 

The meeting discussed the suggestion submitted by US Senior Advisor for Global Energy Security Amos Hochstein over the demarcation of maritime borders.

During the meeting, the results of the findings of the technical committee that studied Hochstein's proposal, which consisted of representatives from the Lebanese presidency and premiership, the Army Command (the Hydrographic Department) and the Petroleum Sector Administration, were presented.

The attendees also presented their observations and inquiries about the proposal in order to reach a unified position that guarantees the preservation of Lebanon's rights and its full sovereignty over its maritime borders.

 

After the discussions, it was decided to call on the United States to continue its efforts to complete the negotiations to demarcate the maritime borders, in accordance with the Framework Agreement in a manner that preserves Lebanon's higher interest and stability in the region.
 
The attendees emphasized that this is a national dossier par excellence, and that it should be kept free of pointless bickering.

 

According to information obtained by LBCI, the meeting decided that the issue of maritime border demarcation will be decided in the indirect meetings in Naqoura, and that Hochstein's proposal could be one of the ideas on the table, even though it is not in favor of Lebanon, adding however that “it is not possible to go to negotiations in order to consolidate agreement based on this proposal."