Reports: Hochstein says deal in 3 weeks if Lebanon agrees to 'maritime Blue Line'
U.S. mediator Amos Hochstein told Lebanese officials in his meetings with them on Friday that a point of contention needs to be resolved in order for the negotiations to move towards a quick agreement, media reports said.
“The issue is related to fixing the ‘maritime Blue Line,’ which is marked by the line of buoys on the surface of the sea off the coasts of Lebanon and occupied Palestine,” al-Akhbar newspaper reported.
“Hochstein said that Israel cannot be lenient over this line due to security reasons, promising to send the coordinates to Lebanon within a few days,” the daily added.
And as official sources who took part in the meetings noted the presence of “positivity and progress,” the U.S. mediator reportedly said that Lebanon’s demands will be met and that his government wants the agreement to be signed within three weeks.
Quoting one of the sources, al-Akhbar said that Hochstein pointed out that there would be an agreement this month if Lebanon agreed to addressing the file of the sea Blue Line, warning that the negotiations would stop if Lebanon refused to do so.
Deputy Speaker Elias Bou Saab meanwhile told the daily that “the points of disagreement have narrowed and things are very positive.”
“The discussion is about sea points linked to floating Israeli devices. Lebanon has requested the coordinates of those points, seeing as they move all the time, in order to settle all matters related to Line 23, which Lebanon will get it in full,” Bou Saab added.
“During next week, Hochstein will present a written draft of the agreement, after specifying the coordinates related to the buoys, and then things will happen accordingly,” Bou Saab went on to say.
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