Berri delivers response to French paper

Parliament Speaker Nabih Berri has delivered Lebanon’s response to the French paper related to resolving the border conflict between Lebanon and Israel, Berri’s aide MP Ali Hassan Khalil has said.

Khalil said the response has been handed to the French embassy in Beirut.

“We have dealt with the paper in a positive manner despite some reservations that we wrote down regarding some points and terms,” Khalil added, noting that “the response says that the implementation of Resolution 1701 and all its stipulations in the gateway for a solution in the south.”

“The French paper represents a good basis for discussions and it is better than the first French proposal, seeing as it does not mention arrangements but rather a roadmap for implementing Resolution 1701,” Khalil went on to say.

“There were essential points that violate the spirit of Resolution 1701 and this is what we categorically rejected, and there are negotiable points that can be resolved,” Khalil revealed.

He however pointed out that “a ceasefire in Gaza remains the key to the solution.”

“A ceasefire in Gaza will apply to the south and we can talk about implementing 1701 if the Israelis can commit to it,” Khalil said.

He also said that “Lebanon has no problem in increasing the number of UNIFIL troops,” adding that the country has expressed reservations over “the removal of the ‘in coordination with the Lebanese Army’ clause that was mentioned in Resolution 1701.”