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MARITIME BORDER

President Aoun awards Bou Saab for his mediation efforts

President Aoun awards Bou Saab for his mediation efforts

President Michel Aoun gives Deputy Parliament Speaker Elias Bou Saab "the cedars national medal" for his efforts in maritime border negotiations. (Credits: Lebanese Presidency's Twitter account)

BEIRUT — President Michel Aoun on Saturday gave Deputy Parliament Speaker Elias Bou Saab, who served as Lebanon's top maritime border negotiator with Israel, the National Order of the Cedar medal for "his efforts as a minister and an MP, and the effective role he played in the process of the latest negotiations to delimit the southern maritime border," the Presidency's Twitter account reported.

Bou Saab is a member of the Free Patriotic Movement — the party founded by Aoun — parliamentary group and served as defense minister in 2019-20 and education minister in 2014-216. 

The presidency also said that Bou Saab informed the president of preparations "to officially delimit the borders" and an anticipated visit by Amos Hochstein, the US meditator in the maritime border negotiations, toward the middle of next week. The presidency reported Bou Saab as saying Hochstein "will give the president a signed letter from the United States before a meeting in Naqoura" in South Lebanon.

A traditional signing protocol with leaders from both countries present is unlikely given that Israel and Lebanon technically remain in a state of war.

US envoy Hochstein told a webinar hosted by the Middle East Institute on Tuesday he would be traveling to the region next week, but he did not give dates or destinations.

"The president of Lebanon and prime minister of Israel will decide on the signing. Stay tuned in the next few days," Hochstein said.

BEIRUT — President Michel Aoun on Saturday gave Deputy Parliament Speaker Elias Bou Saab, who served as Lebanon's top maritime border negotiator with Israel, the National Order of the Cedar medal for "his efforts as a minister and an MP, and the effective role he played in the process of the latest negotiations to delimit the southern maritime border," the Presidency's Twitter account...