The US State Department announced on Friday that Washington will host another round of talks between Israel and Lebanon on May 14 and 15.
State Department spokesperson Tommy Pigott said in a statement that the meeting will build uilding on the April 23 round of talks, which was led personally by President Donald Trump.
“Both delegations will engage in detailed discussions aimed at advancing a comprehensive peace and security agreement that substantively addresses the core concerns of both countries. These talks aim to break decisively from the failed approach of the past two decades, which allowed terrorist groups to entrench and enrich themselves, undermine the authority of the Lebanese state, and endanger Israel’s northern border," Pigott’s statement said.
He further said that the discussions in the next round “will build a framework for lasting peace and security arrangements, the full restoration of Lebanese sovereignty throughout its territory, the delineation of borders, and creating concrete pathways for humanitarian relief and reconstruction in Lebanon."
“Both sides have committed to approaching these talks with their national interests in mind, and the United States will work to reconcile those interests in a manner that delivers lasting security for Israel, and sovereignty and reconstruction for Lebanon," said the statement.
It noted that the US “welcomes the commitment of both governments to this process and recognizes that comprehensive peace is contingent on the full restoration of Lebanese state authority and the complete disarmament of Hezbollah, a US-designated Foreign Terrorist Organization."
“These discussions represent another important step toward ending decades of conflict and establishing a lasting peace between the two countries. The United States will continue to support both countries as they seek to reach a breakthrough," the statement concluded.
After the April 23 meeting which was attended by Israel’s Ambassador to the US, Yechiel Leiter, and Lebanon’s Ambassador to the US, Nada Hamadeh Moawad, Trump expressed hope that a ceasefire between Israel and Lebanon would be possible this year.
Trump also said he hopes to host a meeting between Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu and Lebanese President Joseph Aoun in Washington within the next few weeks.
Aoun has made clear that a high-level summit with Netanyahu is currently out of the question, stressing that the cessation of hostilities must be the primary focus before any direct political engagement can be considered.
Despite Aoun’s reluctance, the US this week reiterated its backing for a meeting between Netanyahu and Aoun.
“President Trump has been clear that direct engagement between the two countries is the best way to swiftly advance a lasting peace and security agreement," a State Department official said in a statement.
“Diplomacy is ongoing, and we will not comment on our ongoing discussions with the two countries," the official continued.
“Hezbollah is still trying to derail negotiations with attacks on Israel and threats inside of Lebanon. We are working to create the conditions and political momentum needed to move this forward," concluded the State Department official.
(Arutz Sheva-Israel National News' North American desk is keeping you updated until the start of Shabbat in New York. The time posted automatically on all Israel National News articles, however, is Israeli time.)