This content was published on Sep 13, 2022 – Jul 20 20:32
BEIRUT (Reuters) – A senior Lebanese security official said Tuesday that talks to demarcate the maritime border between Lebanon and Israel, which could help distribute oil and gas resources, are nearing completion after nearly two years of negotiations.
“We are talking about weeks, even days, to finalize the demarcation file. I tend to be good things,” Lebanon’s general director of security general, Major General Abbas Ibrahim, told local television channel Al-Jadeed.
Lebanon and Israel are conducting US-mediated negotiations to demarcate the common maritime boundary, which would help determine each country’s oil and gas resources and pave the way for further exploration.
Ibrahim attended meetings last week with US mediator Amos Hochstein, who said his hour-long visit to Beirut on 9 September showed him that the talks were making “excellent progress”.
According to Israeli and Lebanese officials, an Israeli proposal would allow Lebanon to develop gas reserves in a disputed area in exchange for accepting a demarcation line to the north.
A political source familiar with the talks said Lebanese officials had requested a written copy of the proposal before submitting a final response.
(Press report by Maya Jubaili – Edited by Mustafa Saleh for the Arab Bulletin – Edited by Ahmed Sobhi)
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