Lebanese President Joseph Aoun is expected to visit the White House on July 21 for his first face-to-face meeting with US President Donald Trump, the Lebanese embassy in Washington has confirmed.
It said the invitation for talks at the White House "reflects the enduring partnership" between the countries and "provides an opportunity for the two leaders to discuss issues of mutual interest, including bilateral relations, regional security and continued US support for Lebanon’s sovereignty, stability, territorial integrity and state institutions".
Mr Aoun's visit to the White House will come after Lebanon and Israel signed a US-backed framework agreement last month aimed at stopping the war between Israel and Hezbollah.
The deal was brokered by the US after several rounds of direct talks between Lebanon and Israel in Washington. The Lebanese state has insisted on negotiating its own deal, separate from the US-Iran interim agreement.
"This visit follows an intensive period of diplomatic engagement undertaken by the embassy of Lebanon in Washington, in close co-ordination with the Lebanese Presidency and top officials in the US administration," said the embassy in its statement. "Throughout this process, the embassy has worked to strengthen high-level bilateral dialogue and facilitate the arrangements that culminated in this official visit."
The talks between Mr Trump and Mr Aoun are expected to focus on fulfilling the requirements of the framework agreement, including the Israeli withdrawal from Lebanese territory and the extension of Lebanese state authority in the south of the country.
The agreement has raised concerns among diplomats and Lebanese officials over its uncertain legal standing, the lack of any timetable for Israel to remove its troops from Lebanon and the possibility that the US and Iran will negotiate different terms relating to Lebanon.
Lebanon and Israel are also apparently scheduled to meet for a new round of talks next week in Rome, according to an Israeli announcement. But Lebanese officials say they were not notified of the decision.
“We don’t know anything. The Israelis are saying this but we still do not have any notice,” a source told The National on Tuesday. The source added that Italian authorities were also caught off guard by the Israeli announcement.
