Lebanese President Joseph Aoun has left Beirut for Washington DC at the invitation of his opposite number Donald Trump.
Although neither side has confirmed it, a meeting between Aoun and Trump is considered a possible component of the trip.
The Lebanese president said Aoun would “discuss with a number of US officials the situation in Lebanon and ways to strengthen the ceasefire,” especially in the south, as well as “Israeli withdrawal from the occupied territories of Lebanon.”
The US is leading mediation between Israel and Lebanon to build on a ceasefire agreement in the latest round of clashes between Hezbollah and Israel, which has sharply reduced the volume of conflict since mid-April. The parties also signed a new “framework agreement” in late June.
However, Israel still occupies a self-declared “buffer zone” in southern Lebanon, which it says is necessary to protect northern areas near the actual border.
The talks are seeking to arrange for the withdrawal of Israeli troops from some southern areas, with Lebanese forces advancing and the disarmament and removal of Iran-backed Hezbollah fighters as part of the other side of the deal.
Lebanon’s government and military are not a party to the war with Israel, just as Hezbollah is not a party to the US-brokered talks, complicating the process. There are also no diplomatic relations between Israel and Lebanon.
As fighting began in early March, Aoun’s government tried and failed to prevent Hezbollah from attacking Israel in response to attacks on Iran.
Aoun will be the first Lebanese president to visit Washington since Barack Obama welcomed Michel Slimane in 2009.