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MENA Observatory – Lebanon
Accusations continue to emerge between the Lebanese and Israeli parties regarding differences over the demarcation of the maritime borders between Lebanon and Israel, as Israeli Energy Minister Yuval Steinitz responded to Lebanese President Michel Aoun’s denial of what he said. Steinitz, about Beirut offering 7 different shipping lines to serve as separation borders. Between the two countries, saying, “You don’t know all the facts.”
The Israeli minister told him in a new “tweet” on “Twitter”: “I read very carefully your response to my words that you posted on Twitter, and I had the impression that you do not know all the facts.” He added: “Since January 2007 when the demarcation of the maritime border between Lebanon and Cyprus was signed. To date, Lebanon has provided seven different shipping lines, noting that” some of them have been deposited with the United Nations, others have been shipped. to UNIFIL and the Israel Defense Forces, and other lines have recently been put forward in the framework of the talks taking place in Naqoura. “
“Steinitz” revealed that he had instructed his country’s delegation to act responsibly and adhere to the maritime line that Israel deposited with the United Nations 10 years ago, explaining that he asked the delegation “to take a pragmatic approach to the talks, in an attempt to alleviate and resolve the dispute, in order to provide the well-being of Lebanese and Israeli citizens. ” Her expression.
It is noteworthy that Lebanese President “Michel Aoun” had, on Friday, denied the Israeli Energy Minister’s statement that Lebanon had changed its position seven times on the issue of the southern maritime borders, stressing that these words “did not they are based on the truth. “
Aoun’s words came in response to statements by the Israeli Minister of Energy, in which he accused Lebanon of changing its position regarding the demarcation of the maritime borders between the two countries, warning of the possibility that the talks could reach a a “dead end”, which could hamper gas exploration projects in the Mediterranean.
The Israeli minister said in a “tweet” on “Twitter” at the time that “Lebanon changed its position on its maritime borders with Israel seven times”, and explained that Lebanon’s current position “is not only inconsistent with its previous positions, it also contradicts their position on the maritime borders with Israel. ” Syria”.
It should be noted that the negotiations between the two parties mainly related to a marine area that extends over some 860 square kilometers, according to a map sent in 2011 to the United Nations, but Lebanon later considered that it was based on false estimates.
During the negotiation sessions, Lebanon is demanding an additional area of 1,430 square kilometers that includes part of the Karish field in which the Greek company “Energian” operates, the director of the Institute for the Governance of Natural Resources in the Middle said previously. East and North Africa, Laurie Haitian.
It is worth noting that in 2018, Lebanon signed the first contract to explore for gas and oil in two areas of its territorial waters, one of which is in the part in dispute with Israel, and therefore, Lebanon does not you have the option to work in this area except after the boundaries are marked.
