Hochstein's visit has taken on significant meaning with the official statement from the U.S. State Department announcing that the United States will send an envoy to Lebanon to discuss the country's energy crisis and to express Washington's hope that Beirut and Israel can reach an agreement on demarcating their maritime borders. It added that Amos Hochstein, Senior Advisor to the State Department for Energy Security, will visit Lebanon on June 13 and 14. The statement noted that “the administration welcomes the consultative and candid spirit of both sides to reach a final decision that would lead to greater stability, security, and prosperity for both Lebanon and Israel and the region.”
In preparations for the talks with Hochstein, President Michel Aoun and caretaker Prime Minister Najib Mikati met on Saturday at Baabda Palace and discussed the Lebanese stance on the demarcation and coordinated a unified position. Information indicated that maps and files carried by Mikati in a black folder were presented to Baabda. The meeting was described as highly technical, with no divergence between the Lebanese parties' positions, and no official stance, ceiling, or paper will be released for negotiations pending what the U.S. mediator will bring.
According to available information to "An-Nahar," Presidents Aoun and Mikati agreed to convey a unified presidential response to Hochstein, but they cannot preempt what the U.S. mediator will present to the officials, meaning they are not preparing a response based on a "black or white" framework. Therefore, they are waiting to see if the mediator will come with “improvements” compared to the last time, while there is official Lebanese eagerness to reach a solution for the maritime border demarcation between the two sides.
Concerns were raised regarding the absence of House Speaker Nabih Berri from the Baabda meeting, but involved parties emphasized that the two presidents were in open communication with the Speaker, and there was no issue on this matter. For his part, Speaker Berri confirmed to "An-Nahar" that he is in “full coordination” with Presidents Aoun and Mikati on this file, asserting that the issue of demarcation and the response to Hochstein “remains outside any orbit of play or bidding from any party.” Reports indicated that Aoun will inform Hochstein that what was presented in his previous visit to Beirut “was not enough,” in addition to emphasizing Lebanon’s right to its maritime wealth and the importance of not giving it away as gifts to Israel while adhering to the Law of the Sea and international demarcation rules between parties entering disputed areas.
