PRESIDENT AOUN SUBMITS RESPONSE TO HOCHSTEIN’S BORDER PROPOSAL

President of the Republic, General Michel Aoun, met the American mediator in the indirect negotiations for the demarcation of the southern maritime border, Mr. Amos Hochstein, today at the Presidential Palace.

Mr. Hochstein was accompanied by the US Ambassador in Beirut, Ms Dorothy Shea, in addition to the Senior Adviser to the Maritime Border Negotiations, Ms Nadine Zaatar, Director of Affairs of the Middle East and North Africa Transnational in the National Security Council Ms Lindsey Merrill, and the diplomat at the US Embassy in Beirut, Mr. Herald Olsen.

Deputy Speaker of Parliament, Elias Bou Saab, former Minister, Salim Jreissati, Presidency Director-General, Dr. Antoine Choucair, Director-General of General Security, Major General Abbas Ibrahim, and advisers Rafic Shelala and Osama Khashab were present on the Lebanese side.

President Aoun emphasized Lebanon’s sovereign rights to water and natural resources, and presented Mr. Hochstein with a response to the American proposal that he had presented months ago, provided that Mr. Hochstein conveys the Lebanese position to the Israeli side within the next few days.

The President also wished Mr. Hochstein to return quickly to Lebanon with an answer from the Israeli side.

For his part, Mr. Hochstein thanked President Aoun for the Lebanese answer, promising to present it to the Israeli side within the framework of its mediation in the indirect negotiations to demarcate the southern maritime borders.

Source: National News Agency