Bou Habib and Hochstein Discuss Southern Land Borders

The Minister of Foreign Affairs and Emigrants, Abdullah Bou Habib, received the U.S. Presidential Coordinator for Global Energy Security, Amos Hochstein, accompanied by the U.S. Ambassador to Lebanon, Dorothy Shea, at the Ministry of Foreign Affairs and Emigrants in downtown Beirut on Thursday. The meeting addressed the draft resolution regarding the extension of UNIFIL's mandate, where Hochstein reaffirmed the U.S. administration's commitment to stability in the south. Bou Habib clarified that "the position he carried to New York is the position of the Lebanese government, in consultation with various local parties, in order to preserve Lebanese sovereignty, interests, and stability in the south." Hochstein also expressed his hope to continue the path related to gas exploration in Lebanese territorial waters, noting "the global interest in the mentioned exploration," and expressed optimism that this momentum, if accompanied by necessary reforms and constitutional requirements, would put Lebanon on the path to economic recovery and enhanced stability. Regarding the establishment of southern land borders, Hochstein stated that, after the successful mediation he conducted for the maritime borders, he is in the process of "assessing the readiness of the concerned parties to launch this path, as well as studying the feasibility of conducting this mediation at the present time, to reach a resolution of the remaining border disputes in the south." In this regard, Bou Habib expressed Lebanon's readiness to initiate this path, in a manner that preserves Lebanese rights.