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Judge Profile(s):
1) https://mncourts.gov/About-The-Courts/Overview/JudicialDirectory/Bio.aspx?jid=1881
2) https://mitchellhamline.edu/biographies/person/kellie-charles/
The State Department also announced on June 10 that Senior Advisor Amos Hochstein "will travel to Lebanon on June 13-14 to discuss sustainable solutions to Lebanon’s energy crisis."
In late 2017, Lebanon signed a gas exploration and production agreement with a consortium comprising the French company Total, the Italian Eni, and the Russian Novatek for gas blocks 4 and 9.
However, though committed to its exploration deal with Lebanon, Total stressed that it would not start operations on Block 9 until the Israeli-Lebanese maritime dispute was resolved, according to MEE.
Asked why Total refused to explore gas for Lebanon in Block 9 although "Israel' has been able to convince Energean Power's vessel to develop the disputed Karish gas field for "Israel", Abi-Khalil accused the US of pressuring international companies to operate Karish oil gas in disputed maritime borders.
"The US seeks to hand over influence to the Israeli enemy in the Arab Mashreq, i.e. to become a leading reference for all countries in the region," Abi-Khalil told Al Mayadeen English.
After the US recognized "Jerusalem" as the capital of the entity, "the Knesset passed the Jewish National Law, which proves the enemy’s implementation of the policy of making everything an Israeli and Judaization inside occupied Palestine," Abi-Khalil added.
Abi-Khalil stressed that the Israeli enemy has moved to consolidate its influence abroad through the implementation of regional foreign policy, proving once again the "political-diplomatic capabilities of the enemy and its ability to persuade Western companies, including the Energean Power vessel, to explore Karish."
"This is due to the pressures exerted by the United States and the Zionist lobby on international companies that share with their economic interests and material capabilities," she told Al Mayadeen English.
Relaunching negotiations
Hochstein landed in Beirut on Monday and met on Tuesday with President Michel Aoun and other senior government officials and parliamentarians as part of the indirect negotiations to demarcate the maritime border.
President Aoun received Hochstein in the presence of the US Ambassador to Beirut Dorothy Shea, and Aoun informed Hochstein of Lebanon's official position regarding the demarcation of the maritime borders and stressed Lebanon's sovereign rights to water and natural resources.
Al Mayadeen Arabic correspondent, citing information obtained, pointed out that Lebanon will demand the preservation of the entire Qana field, and thus adherence to all oil wealth, even beyond the line 23, rejecting the line previously drawn up by Hochstein in February, whereby he cut off parts of Block no. 8.
The correspondent stated that Aoun "responded orally to Hochstein's previous offer and presented a new proposal," adding that Aoun "requested prompt answers through Hochstein from the other side, i.e. Tel Aviv."
Indirect talks between Lebanon and "Israel" fizzled out in 2021 after Lebanon pushed its claim in the disputed zone from a boundary known as "Line 23" further south to "Line 29", adding around 1,400 square km (540 square miles) to its maritime borders, including part of Karish.
To overcome the impasse, according to media reports, Hochstein proposed a field swap that would create an S-shaped boundary instead of a straight line, but Lebanon did not officially agree to the proposal.
Two unnamed official sources told Reuters on June 14 that President Aoun would demand from the US energy envoy that indirect talks resume as soon as possible and that "Israel" stop all works at Karish until negotiations are concluded, the two officials said.
Asked if Hochstein's visit to Beirut can relaunch indirect maritime border negotiations, Abi-Khalil said it is up to Hoshstein's proposals.
"Re-launching the negotiations is related to the proposals that will be presented by the American envoy, which must take into account the Lebanese interest," said Abi-Khalil.
"Views united on the decision taken by His Excellency the President of the Republic, which strengthens the Lebanese position," she added.
Previous talks stalled after Lebanon said that the map used by the United Nations in the talks required modification. It is not clear yet if Lebanon can resume talks now without the map being modified.
"We can say that the visit of the American envoy to Beirut today means the resumption of negotiations, especially if the United States does not want an escalation in the region," Abi-Khalil told Al Mayadeen English. "[Indirect] Negotiations are a necessity at this stage."
Part 2 - End