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And US Secretary of State Mike Pompeo said in a statement that this agreement “is the result of tireless diplomatic efforts that lasted almost three years.”
Israeli Foreign Minister Gabi Ashkenazi thanked his US counterpart and his team for their great efforts that led to the initiation of direct talks to demarcate the maritime borders between the two countries.
He said that this is an important step that was taken after three years of diplomatic contacts and that it would not have been possible without the mediation of the United States.
He added that the success of the talks would greatly affect the stability of the region and enhance the prosperity of the citizens of the two peoples of Israel and Lebanon.
This comes after the speaker of the Lebanese Parliament, Nabih Berri, announced that his country would hold UN-mediated talks with Israel on disputed land and sea borders.
Berri stressed that the United States will play the role of facilitating the holding of the talks, which are supposed to take place in the border town of Naqoura, without announcing the start date.
Berri noted that “the success of the process of demarcation of the Lebanese borders with Israel would support the Lebanese economy.”
A spokesman for Israeli Energy Minister Yuval Steinitz confirmed last week that Israel and Lebanon had reached an agreement to carry out negotiations on their maritime borders, after years of setbacks.
