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Middle East conflict

US envoy to discuss plan for conflict resolution with Israel in Beirut — newspaper

According to the publication, Tom Barrack will hold talks on Monday with the President of the Republic Joseph Aoun, the Speaker of Parliament Nabih Berri and Prime Minister Nawaf Salam

BEIRUT, August 18. /TASS/. US Special Representative for the Middle East Tom Barrack will discuss with the Lebanese leadership a roadmap for resolving the conflict with Israel, which provides for the disarmament of the Shiite movement Hezbollah.

As reported by the Asharq al-Awsat newspaper, the US envoy, who has already arrived in Beirut, will hold talks on Monday with the President of the Republic Joseph Aoun, the Speaker of Parliament Nabih Berri and Prime Minister Nawaf Salam.

According to the publication, the government of the republic, which approved on August 5 a plan to transfer weapons from Hezbollah to the Lebanese army by the end of this year, expects that the US envoy will obtain concessions from Israel in exchange, which will begin a phased withdrawal of its forces from five occupied areas in southern Lebanon.

Aoun explained on Sunday in an interview with Al Hadath TV channel that the Barrack roadmap complements the ceasefire agreement with Israel reached on November 27, 2024. But he also stressed that Lebanon does not intend to enter into dialogue with Israel to normalize relations and is committed to "pan-Arab efforts to achieve a just peace in the region."

The president noted that support for the American plan opens the way for Lebanon to receive international financial assistance to restore areas destroyed during Israeli aggression.

"Lebanon is tired of wars and crises, and we will make every effort to protect the country from internal and external shocks," he added.

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