US Assistant Secretary of State for Near Eastern Affairs David Schenker is expected to return to Beirut soon to resume the mediation that was carried out by his predecessor David Satterfield on a maritime border dispute between Lebanon and Israel, diplomats said.
Satterfield left the job after being appointed Ambassador to Turkey.
The diplomats, who refused to be identified, told Asharq Al-Awsat that during his trip to Beirut, Schenker would discuss ways to resolve the border dispute.
Last May, Lebanese President Michel Aoun discussed with Satterfield the proposals handed over by Lebanon to US Ambassador to Beirut Elizabeth Richard, which included an action mechanism that could be adopted to demarcate the southern maritime border.
Schenker’s expected visit to Beirut would be his second to the Lebanese capital since his appointment by US Secretary of State Mike Pompeo.
In September, Schenker met with top Lebanese officials, including Aoun, Speaker Nabih Berri and Prime Minister Saad Hariri.
Aoun told Schenker that Lebanon hopes that the United States would continue its mediation efforts, picking up where things stopped with Satterfield.
Asharq Al-Awsat learned last month that Lebanese officials believe that the appointment of Schenker to resume the US role in solving the maritime border dispute is a sign on Pompeo’s eagerness for a demarcation without Israel flexing its muscles.
In his meeting with the Lebanese officials, Schenker said the US was ready to “renew efforts toward the demarcation of land and sea borders in south Lebanon,” and was keen to strengthen bilateral relations, especially in terms of supporting the Lebanese military.
On Friday, a Lebanese official said that Washington wants indirect negotiations between Israel and Lebanon to succeed, because an agreement between the two sides would help in oil and gas exploration in the Exclusive Economic Zone (EEZ) between Lebanon and Israel.
