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Lebanon and Israel are again talking about controversial maritime borders

2021-05-04T17:55:24.400Z


Lebanon is economically on the ground, but the country is hoping for money from the energy business through a border agreement with Israel. Now there are new talks between the warring states under US mediation.


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Ship of the UN observer mission Unifil in the border area between Israel and Lebanon

Photo: Hussein Malla / AP

Israel and Lebanon have been at war for decades.

Last summer there was even an exchange of fire on the land border.

Now the states are still negotiating again about their controversial sea border in the Mediterranean.

Delegations from the two countries met at the headquarters of the UN troops in the south of Lebanon, according to United Nations circles.

The negotiations are indirect talks under US mediation.

The background to the border disputes are gas fields in the Mediterranean to which several states are claiming.

The dispute between Israel and Lebanon involves several large gas deposits not far from the Israeli port city of Haifa.

Israel wants to become an energy superpower by developing its resources.

Talks on the maritime border began last October but have been interrupted with no tangible progress.

According to the media, the Lebanese delegation enlarged the area it claimed during the negotiations.

"The Lebanese position is weakened"

According to the AP news agency, the Lebanese side is not unanimously behind the advance.

The army decided to extend the claims.

"The Lebanese position has been weakened and it is important for Israel to join the talks if Lebanon is in such a role," AP quoted the Lebanese raw materials expert Laury Haytayan as saying.

Countries are differently well prepared for the exploitation of natural resources.

Israel already produces gas in the Mediterranean Sea and sells it to Egypt and Jordan, for example.

Most recently, Israel reached an agreement in principle with Greece and Cyprus for the construction of the Eastmed Mediterranean gas pipeline.

Israel plans to start operating the pipeline as early as 2025 if possible.

Lebanon had recently carried out its first drilling and, according to the AP, will also carry out tests in the disputed sea areas in the coming months.

fek / dpa

Source: spiegel

All news articles on 2021-05-04

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