00:00The fact that Lebanon today has U.S. attention is huge, and the Lebanese realize that this is
00:06huge, and the Lebanese realize that the U.S. role is extremely important, and that if anyone
00:12can rein in Netanyahu, it is Trump, and that if anyone can help advance these negotiations,
00:18it is the U.S. administration. So the Lebanese realize that there is a very important role for
00:24the U.S. in this context. But of course, there are concerns, on the other hand, that the U.S.
00:32administration might grow impatient, particularly if progress takes a lot of time. And here also,
00:37I must say that there is a role that the Lebanese state must play in showing that it can deliver,
00:44in showing that it can push things also internally, and that it can take control internally over the
00:50situation in order for us also to be pushing these negotiations further. We cannot only be waiting,
00:57I mean, for the U.S. and for other actors. We also, the Lebanese state also has to have
01:04more agency and has to push more internally. Now also, of course, what is also important is for the
01:13U.S. to keep the Lebanese state and the Lebanese authority and the official representatives of the
01:20Lebanese state as the main interlocutor in these negotiations, as the main entity that it talks to
01:27and that it talks through to the other players in Lebanon. Mind you, this entire negotiation is also
01:35an exercise to reassert Lebanese sovereignty, as an exercise for the Lebanese official authorities to say
01:42we are in charge. And it's important for the U.S. to reinforce this at every step of the way.
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