ANSD : Tillerson offers new dispute resolution proposals: Aoun

THU 18 - 4 - 2024

Date: Feb 16, 2018
Source: The Daily Star

Tillerson offers new dispute resolution proposals: Aoun

_{Joseph Haboush| The Daily Star}
BEIRUT: U.S. Secretary of State Rex Tillerson Thursday presented new ideas for a solution to the border dispute between Lebanon and Israel after a previous proposal was roundly rejected by Lebanese officials. Tillerson landed at Rafik Hariri International Airport at around 10 a.m. and met with President Michel Aoun, Speaker Nabih Berri and Prime Minister Saad Hariri before departing around 4 p.m.

His visit comes at a time when Israel has increased its rhetoric against Lebanon over claims to potential oil and gas reserves in the Mediterranean Sea and begun construction on a cement wall along the border with Lebanon.

Despite the top U.S. diplomat focusing aggressively on Hezbollah – a key ally of Aoun – in his meeting with the president, Aoun said new suggestions for an agreement over Lebanon’s disputed territories were put forth.

“Tillerson [understood] our position and there are several proposals that will be discussed,” Aoun told a Cabinet meeting Thursday.

The original proposal was previously presented to Lebanese leaders by acting U.S. Assistant Secretary for Near Eastern Affairs David Satterfield last week, and was based on the “Hoff Line.” In 2011, U.S. diplomat Frederick Hoff reportedly proposed for Lebanon to acquire 550 square kilometers of the disputed 860 square kilometers that Lebanon insists is part of its maritime border, and abandon the remaining part to Israel.

Satterfield will meet with Foreign Minister Gebran Bassil, Friday at 11:30 a.m., according to a statement from Bassil’s office.

“We informed the American side of Lebanon’s stance regarding the cement wall and the maritime borders,” Aoun told ministers.

During the meeting between Aoun and Tillerson, which was marred by reports that the diplomat was made to wait before the president showed up, the president voiced Lebanon’s commitment to its “internationally recognized borders.”

Aoun voiced his rejection of Israeli claims to parts of the Exclusive Economic Zone in Lebanon’s waters. “He [Aoun] said he would exert all efforts to reach a solution in regards to the land and maritime borders, calling on the U.S., United Nations and international community to play a role in this,” a statement from Aoun’s office said. The president also confirmed Lebanon’s commitment to calm along its southern border and said Lebanon was not seeking a war with anyone.

Tillerson reiterated the U.S. support for Lebanese state institutions, “especially the Lebanese Army, and for a strong, stable and prosperous Lebanon.”

He also confirmed that his country would take part in upcoming international conferences aimed at garnering support for Lebanon’s economy, security apparatuses and infrastructure.

During his meeting with Hariri, the prime minister also called on the U.S. to participate in the conferences. “His visit is a clear testimony of the United States’ commitment to Lebanon’s political and economic stability and the security of my country,” Hariri said during a joint news conference with Tillerson, from the Grand Serail.

Aoun, at the beginning of the Cabinet session, said Lebanon’s stance was a result of the unified position agreed upon at a meeting held in Baabda earlier this week between the president, speaker and prime minister.

Tillerson continued discussions on the recent dispute over Lebanon’s right to explore its potential offshore oil reserves and the controversial border wall with Hariri. During the news conference, Hariri said he stressed Lebanon’s right to “explore, exploit and develop our natural resources in our territorial waters.”

But the prime minister said Lebanon was adamant on abiding by U.N. Security Council Resolutions 1701 and 2373 and that Lebanon wants a permanent cease-fire, “but Israel’s daily violations of our sovereignty hinder that process, as does Israel’s escalating rhetoric – this needs to stop.”

Hariri echoed Aoun’s comments on the southern border, saying that it is the calmest border in the Middle East “and I asked Secretary Tillerson to help keep it that way.”

In an indirect response to reports over the previous proposal by the U.S. for the maritime dispute, Tillerson said: “We have asked no one to give up anything; we are rather looking for a solution.”

He said no guarantees could be given to Lebanon that Israel would respect a solution, if reached. Responding to a question from The Daily Star, he said, “The U.S. is not in a position to guarantee anything for another sovereign country, what we are here to do though is to be constructive in finding solutions to a final border agreement along the Blue Line.”

According to the secretary of state, ongoing discussions have been constructive, while the U.S. is urging the “Israelis to also be constructive in these discussions.

“Let’s get the border agreed first and then people can think about if they need a security wall or not, at that point.”

Speaking of hopes for the current talks to lead to a mutually agreed border, Tillerson suggested they could help yield a final resolution.

During the news conference, Tillerson suggested the Lebanese people and communities were resilient in the face of “efforts to drag Lebanon into such conflicts, to terrorism and violent extremism, to economic strains.”

But Tillerson’s tone toward the “terrorist organization” Hezbollah noticeably altered over 24 hours. Speaking from Jordan Wednesday, he said that it was necessary to realize that Hezbollah is part of the political process in Lebanon. From Beirut, however, he was quick to say the U.S. does not “see nor do we accept any distinction between its political and its military arms.”

Separately, Tillerson visited Berri’s Ain al-Tineh residence to follow up on the latest developments. A statement from Berri’s office said the speaker brought up the daily infringements by Israeli jets on Lebanon’s sovereignty.

Meetings with the three leaders also touched on the recent decision by the U.S. to cut aid to UNRWA – the U.N. relief agency for Palestinian refugees – and the importance of reaching a political solution in Syria.

As for the reported six minutes Tillerson waited before meeting Aoun, the president’s office released a statement saying all protocol was followed during the visit. “No [protocol mistakes] took place in this regard, and all that was circulated has no basis for truth,” it read. It said Tillerson, in his signing of the visitors’ guest book at Baabda Palace, noted the warm welcome he received. – Additional reporting by Ghinwa Obeid and Hassan Lakkis

This article was amended on Friday, February 16 2018
An earlier version of this story incorrectly stated that Satterfield will hold a joint news conference with Foreign Minister Gebran Bassil. A statement from Bassil's office called for media coverage of the meeting only. The Daily Star regrets this error.

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