The Speaker of the Lebanese Parliament, Nabih Berri, has confirmed that Lebanon and Israel have reached an agreement on a framework for indirect talks between the two countries over a disputed maritime border.
The talks have been brokered by the United States and will take place at the headquarters of the UN peacekeeping force, UNIFIL, in the Lebanese southern border town of Naqoura this month. Energy Minister Yuval Steinitz will lead the Israeli delegation.
Minister Steinitz said: “Our goal is to bring an end to the controversy over the demarcation of maritime economic borders to assist the development of natural resources for the benefit of all nations in the region”.
The U.S. will mediate the talks, which are the first negotiations between Israel and Lebanon in 30 years. Lebanese army negotiators will speak to UN officials, not directly to the Israelis.
Israel and Lebanon are both keen to develop and explore new gas fields in the Mediterranean, though they have no diplomatic relations with one another and each claims about 860 square kilometres of the Mediterranean Sea as part of their own exclusive economic zones.
Lebanon is currently experiencing its worst economic and financial crisis in decades and is optimistic that oil and natural gas discoveries in its territorial waters will assist its recovery.
In the past, pressure from the Hezbollah terror group, which dominates Lebanon’s parliament and government, has prevented talks between Israel and Lebanon from taking place.
