New negotiations between Israel and Lebanon

TT

Published 21.36

 

Lebanese President Joseph Aoun. Archive photo. Photo: Petros Karadjias/AP/TT

Israel and Lebanon will meet in Washington for peace talks next week, the US State Department said.

According to State Department spokesman Tommy Pigot, the round of talks, scheduled for June 23-25, represents an opportunity to “make progress on the path to lasting peace.”

The announcement of the negotiations comes after Lebanese President Joseph Aoun spoke by phone with US Secretary of State Marco Rubio on Friday.

Aoun stressed that a comprehensive ceasefire in Lebanon is of utmost importance for talks with Israel to progress, while Rubio reiterated the demand that Lebanon must continue to try to disarm the Shiite militia Hezbollah.

Earlier in the day, the Israeli military confirmed that it had reached a ceasefire agreement with Hezbollah.

Direct negotiations between Israel and Lebanon have been ongoing since mid-April.