Lebanese President Michel Aoun emphasized Lebanon’s sovereign rights to water and natural resources, and presented the American mediator in the indirect negotiations for the demarcation of the southern maritime border Amos Hochstein with a response to the US proposal that he had presented months ago.

Hochstein would convey the Lebanese position to the Israeli side within the next few days, the National News Agency reported.

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

For his part, 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.

Meanwhile, Al-Jazeera reported that the Lebanese response included a call to halt the gas and oil extraction by the Zionist entity in the disputed maritime zone.

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

Source: Agencies