BEIRUT: Senior Lebanese officials said Saturday's talks with visiting US deputy special envoy for the Middle East Morgan Ortagus were positive, focusing on south Lebanon amid a fragile truce between Israel and Hezbollah. President Joseph Aoun and Ortagus discussed "south Lebanon, the work of the international monitoring committee and the Israeli withdrawal" from Lebanese territory, a statement from the presidency said, characterising the talks as constructive. The United States chairs a committee, which also includes France, that is tasked with overseeing the ceasefire.
Prime Minister Nawaf Salam's office, in a statement, also said the discussions with the envoy were "positive". Ortagus's second visit to Lebanon comes as Israel continues to carry out strikes in Lebanon despite a November 27 ceasefire with Hezbollah, and as its troops remain in several points in the country's south. Ortagus and Salam discussed the Lebanese army's work in implementing United Nations Security Council Resolution 1701, which says Lebanese troops and UN peacekeepers should be the only forces in south Lebanon, and called for the disarmament of all non-state armed groups. — AFP
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