Bou Habib says demarcation negotiations in 'advanced' and 'technical' stages

The indirect negotiations with Israel over sea border demarcation have entered a “very advanced stage” and the technical details are now being tackled, caretaker Foreign Minister Abdallah Bou Habib has said.

Speaking to al-Joumhouria newspaper, Bou Habib said he asked U.S. envoy Amos Hochstein upon the latter’s arrival in his office about the rest of the members of his time, after he noticed that two members were missing.

“The missing members are now taking part with the Lebanese technical team in drafting the agreements that we reached in the Baabda Palace meeting,” Bou Habib quoted Hochstein as answering.

“I must carry what we agreed on to Israel as soon as possible, because time is very important and there are aspects that we must accurately calculate and take into consideration,” Hochstein added, according to Bou Habib.

Sources following up on the negotiations meanwhile told al-Joumhouria that “what Hochstein carried from Beirut is very precious” and that “he believes that what will come after this visit will be different than what preceded it.”