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Nabih Berri, “The agreement was in force before the United States imposed sanctions on many Lebanese politicians.”
The Speaker of the Lebanese Parliament, Nabih Berri, announced a framework agreement to start indirect talks to demarcate the borders between Lebanon and Israel.
Under the agreement, the Lebanese army will be Lebanon’s representative in the talks that will take place in the Israel-Lebanon border region under the auspices and supervision of the United Nations.
The United States will play the role of mediator in this agreement.
For his part, the Israeli Energy Minister confirmed that the talks, which are being mediated by the United States and the United Nations, will take place in the coming days at the common maritime border between the two countries.
Berri revealed that the talks would take place in the southern Lebanese border city of Naqoura.
He explained that reaching this framework agreement took about ten years, and four US representatives took turns negotiating it, noting that the visit of US Secretary of State Mike Pompeo to Beirut last March brought the file back to the table.
Berri, who heads the Shiite Amal Party allied with Hezbollah, said the agreement was in effect before the United States imposed sanctions on several Lebanese politicians.
Berri added that the framework for the talks was agreed after the United States imposed sanctions on Ali Hassan Khalil, who is its right-hand man, for corruption and financial empowerment of Hezbollah, which is backed by Iran.
Washington considers Hezbollah a terrorist organization.
Lebanon and Israel have been fighting over their land and sea borders for decades.
This agreement, which represents a change in the direction of Lebanon, comes at a time when the country faces a suffocating crisis with the collapse of its economy under a mountain of debt, and the aggravation of the crisis by the explosion of the port of Beirut , which destroyed much of the capital on August 4.
UNIFIL (the United Nations Interim Force in Lebanon to assist the Lebanese Armed Forces after the Beirut port bombing) welcomed this agreement.
“UNIFIL welcomes today’s announcement on the framework agreement to start negotiations between Lebanon and Israel on the demarcation of the maritime borders between the two countries,” it said in a statement.
It expressed its willingness to provide all possible support to the parties and facilitate efforts to resolve this issue. He affirmed his support for any agreement between the two countries that increases confidence and motivates the parties to re-commit to respecting the Blue Line and the broader border demarcation process, within the framework of Resolution 1701 of the UN Security Council. .
