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Officially, it has not yet been announced about the Lebanese delegation that will travel to Naqoura next Wednesday. The only confirmed news is what the Army Command announced about a meeting that its commander, General Joseph Aoun, had held with the delegation in charge of the negotiations. The meeting was attended by Pilot Brigadier General Bassam Yassin (Army Deputy Chief of Staff for Operations), Colonel Mazen Basbous Maritime General Staff and the expert in border negotiations, Najib Masih. Even here, everything is still normal. However, what was not revealed were the additional members. In the last two days, the President of the Republic (and some of his advisers) had the idea that the negotiating team would include a representative of the Lebanese Ministry of Foreign Affairs, Hadi Hashem (director of the minister’s office and advisor to the former minister , Gebran Bassil), in addition to the head of the Petroleum Administration and the February Medal, while it was notable to discuss Antoun Choucair, Director General of the Presidency of the Republic, to be present at the negotiations!
This angered the March 8 team and the concerns of the Hezbollah and Amal movement. Attempts by the Israeli government to give the negotiations a political character, by including government officials in the enemy delegation, require Lebanon to adopt a position of rejection and insist on limiting representation to the military and technical levels. There are those in Lebanon who try to reciprocate by electing political and civil government figures to represent Lebanon, pointing out that the negotiation that will take place is to resolve a conflict with an enemy state, and this is what is supposed to be limited to the negotiating role only with the army. Therefore, the calls did not stop in the last two days, to argue with Aoun and advise him not to fall into a trap. Al-Akhbar learned that the Speaker of Parliament, Nabih Berri, could speak with Aoun on the matter, because he was previously in charge of the file, and to confirm that the framework agreement and its first clause states “based on positive experience of the tripartite mechanism that has existed since the understandings of April 1996, “which means that it is entrusted. The mission is only the army. While information circulated that “the contacts led to the withdrawal of the idea of a Lebanese diplomat,” presidential sources said that “probably Choucair will attend the opening session, for symbolic reasons.” Without explaining this symbolism, he confirmed that February would be among the delegation. The question arises about the insistence on the existence of a civil government figure. The negotiation process is to demarcate the borders and not the oil wealth, so what need is there for a person as an officer from within the delegation, rather than giving it a character that goes beyond the technical and military character? As if someone were trying to give a signal in response to what the mediator wants. Consider that this represents the last chance to solve part of the economic and financial problems of the country!
As US Under Secretary of State for Near East Affairs David Schenker arrives today to participate in Wednesday’s inaugural session, the issue of the “commemorative” photograph that Schenker requested for the first negotiating session remains unresolved. to all parties. Baabda sources assure that “there are no objections”, while military sources deny the order, and affirm that “it is impossible that there is an image that brings together the Lebanese and Israeli delegations”, knowing that this request should have been rejected without thinking, given the importance of This photo is in the American and Israeli electoral bazaar. Should Lebanon be the godfather of the Donald Trump and Benjamin Netanyahu campaigns and present an image that Washington will be able to market as if it were part of the peace process in the region? ” To read the full article Press here.
