By Najia Houssari — Arabnews.com — BEIRUT: Lebanon’s president has hailed progress in the dispute with Israel over its southern maritime border, saying that US-led mediation efforts were close to finding a solution. Michel Aoun’s office said that the latest round of discussions had concluded and that Amos Hochstein, the lead US negotiator, was preparing a draft of a final agreement. “Reaching an agreement on the demarcation of the southern maritime borders means the start of the process of exploration for oil and gas in the Lebanese fields located within the exclusive economic zone,” Aoun said. He added that signing a deal would “mark the beginning of the economic recovery process.”

Hochstein told Aoun during a call on Sunday that the discussions had been wisely managed by Lebanon. The presidential palace announced that Lebanon would carefully study the final version of Hochstein’s proposal. The positive feedback comes days after Israel had rejected Lebanon’s revisions of the proposal. A spokesman for the US State Department told Al-Arabiya on Monday that Hochstein was working to resolve outstanding differences, adding that “we believe that a sustainable agreement is both possible and within reach.”

NNA – Lebanon reaped massive victory on the first day of the fourth annual Beirut Open Taekwondo Tournament, organized by the Lebanese Taekwondo Federation, under the auspices of the President of the Lebanese Republic, General Michel Aoun, and under the supervision of the International Federation, held at the Nohad Nawfal Complex Stadium in Zouk Mikael. Twenty countries are partaking in the tournament, namely Lebanon, Turkey, Congo, Ivory Coast, Iran, India, Greece, Libya, Iraq, Lesotho, Jordan, Kazakhstan, Egypt, Kuwait, Morocco, Netherlands, Qatar, United Arab Emirates, Syria and Oman.

NNA – “We do not want a settlements president,” said Maronite Patriarch, Cardinal Beshara Boutros Rahi, this Sunday from Bkerki, adding that “the Maronite Patriarchate does not distribute its support to specific candidates, contrary to what is being promoted by some.” “The time has come to reveal the features of the candidate for the presidency, […]

BEIRUT,  (Xinhua) — In the midst of a protracted economic crisis, Lebanese wineries are eyeing the lucrative Chinese market, calling for a joint effort among peers in boosting their sales in China. “China is one of the best markets to export our products,” Walid Habchi, co-founder and partner at Couvent Rouge winery, told Xinhua during the 13th edition of Vinifest, a four-day wine festival that kicked off in Beirut on October 5 and attended by more than 80 Lebanese wineries and spirits producers as well as hundreds of oenophiles from Lebanon and abroad. But tapping a new market requires a big bugdet to be used in areas such as market research, brand promotion and finding the right distributors, etc, Habchi said, adding Lebanese wineries should join their efforts and support each other throughout the process.

In order to grab a humble share of China’s wine market, Lebanese wineries need to work together so that they would be able to sell their products to China in quantities, said Thuraya Karam, owner of Karam wines. “At Karam wines, we have started targeting the Chinese market by participating in a virtual wine-tasting event, but we need more support to be able to enter the market sustainably,” Karam said. For his part, Gabriel Kechichian, a consultant at Domaine Wardy, said he hoped the international shipping costs could go down soon to facilitate the export of Lebanese wine. “Shipping costs have increased tremendously after the outbreak of COVID-19 pandemic, and they are still expensive, but I hope they will drop soon, enabling us to resume our communication with Chinese companies to send our products,” said Kechichian.

Beirut – Thaer Abbas — aawsat.com — Lebanese officials downplayed the importance of reports that pointed to Israel’s rejection of Lebanon’s remarks on the draft agreement pertaining to the demarcation of the maritime borders. Lebanese officials said on Friday that they were waiting for US envoy Amos Hochstein to inform them of the Israeli position. Parliament Speaker Nabih Berri told Asharq Al-Awsat that Lebanon would not take media leaks into consideration, but would wait for the official position that would be conveyed by the American envoy. “The Lebanese remarks are simple, and they were discussed with the US envoy before they were officially sent,” Berri underlined. What is happening now is “internal Israeli electoral bickering that does not concern us,” the Lebanese parliament speaker emphasized, noting that his country was waiting for an official response from Hochstein to proceed accordingly.

Information announced by Israel on Thursday about its rejection of the Lebanese comments on the border demarcation agreement sparked confusion amid Lebanese political circles. Deputy Speaker Elias Bou Saab, who is assigned by President Michel Aoun to follow up on the negotiations issue, said that Lebanon was “in contact with Hochstein, who is mediating the maritime border agreement with Israel to resolve the outstanding points as the negotiations reach a (decisive) point.” Bou Saab told Reuters on Thursday that he would only respond to official statements and not to media reports on Israel’s stance. He said the deal “is 90 percent done, but the remaining 10 percent could make it or break it,” adding that he was in constant contact with the US mediator.

By Mustafa Abu Sneineh — middleeasteye.net — Lebanese banks have voted unanimously to close their doors following a wave of hold-ups by angry depositors, who have been prevented from accessing their cash since September. Bank employees said on Friday that they would close indefinitely but that they would meet the urgent fiscal needs of individuals […]

سجعان قزي

@AzziSejean

المفاوضاتُ الجاريةُ لانتخابِ رئيسٍ جديدٍ للجُمهوريّةِ كَشفَت مرّةً أخرى عدمَ استيعاب غالبيّةِ الأطرافِ اللبنانيّةِ والدُوليّةِ بُعدَ الأزمةِ اللبنانيّةِ الحاليّةِ ولا عُمقَ القضيّةِ اللبنانيّةِ التاريخيّة. وحتّى لو اسْتوعَبتها، فليست مستعدِّةً لدفعِ ثمنِ الحلِّ الصحيح. والوفودُ الأجنبيّةُ التي أُرسِلت لحلِّ أزمةِ لبنان في ربعِ الساعةِ الأخيرِ، وهي لَـم تَحُّلها في ربعِ قرنٍ، تأتي هنا في مُهمّاتِ تَدرّجٍ، خصوصًا أنّها لم تَنجح في حلِّ أزَماتِ بلدانِها ولا أزمَاتِ بلدانٍ أخرى. وفي إطارِ مُهمّات التَدرُّج، زُوِّدَت بأسماء بمرشَّحين “جينيريك” لرئاسةِ الجُمهوريّةِ كأنَّ لدينا، مثلَ الدواءِ، نَدرةُ مرشَّحين أُصَلاء (براند). و”مِنَ الجينيريك جُوْد”.

إذا كان اهتمامُ الدولِ الغربيّةِ بلبنان ناتجًا عن تراكمِ أزَماتِه ودُنوِّ استحقاقاتِه الدستوريّةِ والسياسيّة، فهو نابعٌ أيضًا عن قرارٍ أميركيٍّ/أوروبيٍّ بمحاولةِ “تصفيةِ” القضايا الإقليميّةِ بعدما تَفاقَمت حربُ روسيا على أوكرانيا، وتكاد تتحوّلُ مواجهةً متعددةَ الأوجُهِ بين روسيا من جِهةٍ والاتّحادِ الأوروبيِّ والحلفِ الأطلسيِّ من جِهةٍ أخرى. وباستثناءِ المعركةِ العسكريّةِ المباشَرة، والتهديدِ بالسلاحِ النوويّ، المواجهةُ بين روسيا والغرب مفتوحةٌ اقتصاديًّا وماليًّا وتجاريًّا وغازيًّا، ومرشحّةٌ لأن تَتطوّرَ في المرحلةِ المقبلة ما لم يَحدُث تغييرٌ طارئ في روسيا، حيث نقمةُ الشعبِ الروسيِّ على الرئيس فلاديمير بوتين تزدادُ.

إن إقدامَ روسيا بوتين على التهديدِ باستعمالِ السلاحِ النوويِّ، بمنأى عن جِدّيتِه أو مناورتِه، سيَدفع الدولَ المشاركِةَ في مؤتمر ڤيينا حولَ الـمَلفِّ النوويِّ الإيرانيِّ إلى أن تكونَ أكثرَ تشددًّا في شروطِها لئلّا يصبحَ التهديدُ بالنوويِّ عادةً لا نعرف متى “تَنقُش”.

  by reuters  and arabnews — BEIRUT: Lebanon has submitted to the US a list of changes it would like to see in a proposal on how to delineate a contested maritime border with Israel, a top Lebanese official said on Tuesday. US envoy Amos Hochstein has shuttled between Lebanon and Israel since 2020 to […]

by zawya.com — Beirut: Overlooking the Beirut Marina and the Mediterranean Sea, InterContinental Phoenicia Beirut is known as “La Grande Dame” of the Lebanese capital’s hospitality scene. The hotel, which has played host to guests as diverse as silver screen legends Brigitte Bardot and Marlon Brando, to today’s top musicians including David Guetta and Alicia Keys, was forced to close its doors following the explosion of August 4th, 2020. For two years it has been unable to welcome guests, who had previously enjoyed its wide-ranging facilities, just steps away from the city’s seafront Corniche. Now, following extensive repair work, the hotel is preparing to re-open on October 3rd, 2022. The hotel will host visitors to the city who can enjoy its indoor and outdoor pools, full-service spa and gym and be spoilt for choice with its delectable array of restaurants & bars.

The reopening of the hotel is a crucial milestone in the renaissance of the Lebanese tourism industry – an emblem of luxury hospitality in the capital, opening doors to a world of fascination where great things happen – sometimes the very best moments in life. InterContinental Phoenicia Beirut is ideally situated in the centre of Beirut, just steps from the Corniche for guests to enjoy the view of Zaitunay Bay. The hotel is a short 10-minute drive from trendy Monot Street and Rafic Hariri International Airport, ideal for those looking for serenity without being too far removed from the hustle and bustle. Manrique Rodriguez – General Manager quote said, “Beirut has successfully revived its tourism scene through sheer optimism and determination, since the devastation of August 2020. The reopening of this iconic hotel in such an exciting and dynamic city tells the world that Beirut is back firmly on the tourism hotspot map in the Middle East. We’re excited to give visitors a base, in the ideal location to explore and relax in luxury, at the InterContinental Phoenicia Beirut, experiencing all that the Lebanese capital has to offer.”

by AP – By Josef Federman - Israel’s prime minister on Sunday welcomed a U.S. proposal for setting the maritime border with Lebanon, saying the American plan for resolving a long-running dispute between the neighboring countries would lift Israel’s economy and boost regional security. Prime Minister Yair Lapid said the proposal was delivered over the weekend to both Israel and Lebanon. While he said it was still being studied, he said the plan would strengthen Israel’s northern areas near the Lebanese border, allow Israel to produce additional natural gas and deliver new revenues to the national coffers. “This is a deal that strengthens Israel’s security and Israel’s economy,” Lapid told his Cabinet. He also said Israel would not oppose the development of “an additional Lebanese gas field” straddling the maritime border, as long as Israel receives “the share we deserve.” He said this would weaken Lebanon’s dependence on Iran, restrain the Hezbollah militant group and promote regional stability. He said the deal was being reviewed by legal and defense officials before it is to be voted upon by the government. Israeli media said a vote could take place Thursday.

On Saturday, the proposal was also delivered to Lebanese leaders. Israeli opposition leader Benjamin Netanyahu, under whom the negotiations began in 2020 and who is hoping to return to power in November elections, said he opposed the emerging deal and wouldn’t be bound by it if reelected. Lapid, the country’s caretaker premier, is hoping to fend off Netanyahu in the polls. “Lapid has no mandate to give sovereign territory and sovereign assets that belong to all of us to an enemy state,” Netanyahu said.

Lebanon and Israel have been officially at war since Israel’s creation in 1948 and both countries claim some 860 square kilometers (330 square miles) of the Mediterranean Sea. Amos Hochstein, a senior adviser for energy security at the U.S. State Department who has been mediating between the two neighbors, last visited Beirut in September, where he expressed optimism after meeting with Lebanon’s leaders. Lebanon’s parliament speaker, Nabi Berri, said in an interview with the London-based Asharq Al-Awsat newspaper Saturday the proposal “in principle meets the Lebanese demands.”