U.S. Ambassador to Lebanon Dorothy Shea held talks Thursday in the northern town of Bnashii with Marada Movement chief Suleiman Franjieh.

According to Franjieh’s press office, the talks tackled “the upcoming constitutional junctures and a number of important issues at the political, economic, financial and social levels.”

President Michel Aoun on Thursday stressed that he will seek “positive results” in the file of demarcating the maritime border with Israel, amid tensions sparked by the arrival of a gas production vessel in the Karish offshore field.

“The approach towards the file of the demarcation of the southern maritime border is based on preserving Lebanon’s interest as well as its rights to its water and land,” Aoun said in a Baabda meeting with the ambassadors of Denmark, Norway, Finland and Sweden.

Free Patriotic Movement chief Jebran Bassil on Thursday reiterated his call for imposing the equation “no gas from Karish without gas from Qana,” amid controversy over Israel’s positioning of a floating production storage and offloading (FPSO) vessel in the Karish offshore field.

“It is not enough that the ship is positioned south of Line 29 as long as it is above Karish. And it is not enough for Israel to say that it will extract gas from the undisputed side as long as it will be from the same field,” Bassil tweeted.

Caretaker Interior Minister Bassam Mawlawi and ISF chief Maj. Gen. Imad Othman laid Thursday floral wreaths on the Internal Security Forces Martyrs' monument on the occasion of the 161st anniversary of the ISF.

Mawlawi had asked the ISF members earlier on Wednesday in a social media statement to hold on to their institution and homeland "in order to build together a more safe and secure country."

Caretaker Energy Minister Walid Fayyad has stressed on the sidelines of an energy conference in Jordan that Lebanon needs "before Summer" the approval on a deal that will supply Lebanon with electricity from Jordan through Syria.

"We need to get the approval before Summer," Fayyad said, as he asked Arab and foreign countries for help in gas and fuel supplies.

Israel on Wednesday urged Lebanon to speed up negotiations on its disputed maritime border ahead of an expected visit to Beirut by the U.S. mediator in the contentious talks.

Caretaker Minister of Interior Bassam Mawlawi referred Wednesday the Mayor of Tripoli, Riad Yamak, to the Financial Public Prosecution, as he was accused of wasting public money.

Some members of the municipality of Tripoli had filed a complaint against Yamak and an investigation was carried out by the Directorate General of Local Administration and Councils.

Caretaker Prime Minister Najib Miqati arrived Wednesday at Beirut's airport for an inspection tour ahead of a promising tourist season.

Miqati was accompanied by the caretaker ministers of public works, tourism, industry and interior.

Maronite Patriarch Beshara al-Rahi urged Wednesday for forming a new government quickly.

"I am praying for a government to be formed as soon as possible so that it can start accomplishing its duties as an executive authority," al-Rahi said.

Former head of the Army delegation to border negotiations Bassam Yassin said Wednesday that another ship is currently active near Line 29.

Yassin urged authorities to immediately amend Decree 6433, as he criticized them for "acting surprised" when it comes to the Israeli violations. "They know about what is happening from the media," Yassin said.