Lebanon's president on Tuesday presented suggestions related to the disputed maritime border with Israel to the US envoy mediating between the two countries, the president's office said. The envoy said the suggestions "will enable the negotiations to go forward."
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President Michel Aoun's office released the statement following his meeting with Amos Hochstein, a senior adviser for energy security at the US State Department who has been mediating between the two neighbors.
Hochstein arrived in Beirut on Monday following an invitation by the Lebanese government. The US-mediated indirect talks between Lebanon and Israel have been stalled since last year amid disagreements within Lebanon over how big the disputed area is.
Both countries, officially still at war, claim some 860 square kilometers (330 square miles) of the Mediterranean Sea. Lebanon hopes to unleash offshore oil and gas production as it grapples with the worst economic crisis in its modern history.
In Beirut, Hochstein met with Aoun, Parliament Speaker Nabih Berri, caretaker Prime Minister Najib Mikati and other officials. He did not speak to reporters after the meetings.
Hochstein added that a solution to the border crisis would help Lebanon pull out of its economic meltdown that began in October 2019 leaving more than 75% of its people in poverty.
