Lebanon–Israel border demarcation talks officially begin

BEIRUT — On Wednesday, Lebanon and Israel began the first round of negotiations over the demarcation of maritime borders. The negotiations took place at the headquarters of the United Nations Interim Force in Lebanon (UNIFIL) in the Lebanese border town of Naqoura.

The day prior, Lebanese President Michel Aoun met with members of the official Lebanese delegation which will be conducting the negotiations with Israel. The delegation consisted of Brigadier General Bassam Yassin, Colonel Mazen Basbous, Wissam Shabat — member of the Lebanese Petroleum Sector Management Committee, and subject matter expert Najib Masihi.

The meeting was attended by Minister of Defense Zeina Aker and Army Commander General Joseph Aoun.

When the talks were first announced, Speaker of Lebanese Parliament Nabih Berri (Amal Movement) stated that he had asked French President Emmanuel Macron to put pressure on Total French, an oil and gas company, to not postpone the offshore exploration for oil.

“If the border demarcation is successful, Lebanon will be able to pay off its debts,” stated Berri.

U.S. Assistant Secretary of State for Near Eastern Affairs David Schenker travelled to Lebanon to participate in the opening of the negotiations.

During a press interview at the beginning of October, Schenker stated that the talks were a positive step for both countries, but that, “The U.S. will continue to impose sanctions on the Lebanese parties who are allied with Hezbollah or those involved in issues of corruption.”

“The Imposition of more sanctions will continue even after Israeli–Lebanese framework,” he added, indicating that the U.S. sanctions are not restricted to a specific time-frame and would be in place indefinitely until revoked.

Israel informed Lebanon that if the talks were positive, an agreement would be possible within weeks.

An official at the Israeli Energy Ministry said they would engage in practical negotiations to resolve the dispute over the economic water border between the two countries.

The official warned that if the Lebanese are seeking to negotiate to defeat the Zionist enemy, there will be no progress, and the Lebanese will remain in the position they are now, without being able to open their gas fields.

The agreement comes a month after Israel signed normalization agreements with the United Arab Emirates and Bahrain at the White House in Washington, D.C.