Acting US Assistant Secretary of State for Near Eastern Affairs David Satterfield returned from Tel Aviv to Beirut on Monday to continue his talks with Lebanese officials on the demarcation of land and sea borders.
In a meeting with Speaker Nabih Berri, the US official discussed the outcome of his recent talks. Well-informed sources told Asharq Al-Awsat that Satterfield has returned to Lebanon with a “more positive impression,” adding that some progress was achieved already.
Sources close to Berri stressed that demarcation would take place on the maritime and land borders at the same time.
Satterfield also met with Prime Minister Saad Hariri, with whom he touched on latest local and regional developments.
According to political sources, the Israelis agreed on the idea of demarcation, but asked for clarification on some issues.
“Satterfield is trying to get answers from Lebanon,” the sources said, adding that it was the first time that the American envoy has conveyed a positive atmosphere by the Israeli side, unlike previous times.”
However, according to information available to Asharq Al-Awsat, the Israelis still reject the participation of the UNIFIL forces in southern Lebanon in the demarcation talks. They demand direct negotiations with Lebanon with an American presence only, and they have not accepted the tripartite committee that coordinates and monitors the security situation on the land border.
According to the information, “the Israeli side considers that the UNIFIL forces do not have an international mandate to take care of the negotiations on the demarcation of the maritime border, as long as there is no Security Council resolution in this regard.
The most acceptable way by Israel is to hold the negotiations at the UN headquarters on the Lebanese- Israeli border, and not at the offices of the UN forces operating in southern Lebanon.”
Lebanon attaches great importance to the demarcation of the borders, especially the maritime ones, to accelerate the exploration of oil and gas in the economic zone of its southern territorial waters.
