'We Won't Give Anything to Israel', Says Bassil on Border Demarcation
Foreign Minister Jebran Bassil on Friday stressed that Lebanon is clinging to its rights regarding the demarcation of the land and maritime borders with Israel, noting that “the talks that will be held are in Lebanon's interest.”
“We won't give anything to Israel. We will recover a usurped land and we will gain sovereignty over a stolen land or a maritime zone we consider to be Lebanese,” Bassil said during a joint press conference with his Spanish counterpart Josep Borrell in Madrid.
“Anything that allows us to recover them or carry out gas, petroleum or oil activities in them is a win for Lebanon,” he added.
“Today there is an opportunity to recover our rights and it should not be wasted,” Bassil went on to say.
The Lebanese Foreign Ministry said Tuesady that Lebanon and Israel are close to establishing a framework for negotiations on demarcating the Lebanese-Israeli land and maritime borders.
In a statement, it said the form of negotiations to be held under United Nations auspices and the role of each of the concerned parties is still being worked out. The purported negotiations are to be overseen by Washington, which has been mediating between Lebanon and Israel.
Israeli Energy Minister Yuval Steinitz's office said Monday in a statement that such talks could be "for the good of both countries' interests in developing natural gas reserves and oil."
Source: Naharnet
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