Report: US-Mediated Border Talks ‘Did Not Fail,’ Satterfield in Beirut Tuesday
U.S. Acting Assistant Secretary of State David Satterfield is expected in Beirut on Tuesday to resume talks on the demarcation of maritime and land border between Lebanon and Israel, thwarting doubts the talks have faltered, al-Joumhouria daily reported on Friday.
Satterfield is scheduled to meet with Speaker Nabih Berri to convey the “Isreali response on the suggestions made by Lebanon in that regard,” said the daily.
In light of the Lebanese proposals, it is decided that negotiations between the two sides will be scheduled at the UNIFIL headquarters in Naqoura, under the auspices of the United Nations, and in the presence of a representative of the American mediator, said the daily.
Al-Joumhouria said that Satterfield’s return “brings to a halt the doubts raised recently about the success of Satterfield's mission, especially after he postponed a scheduled visit to Beirut coming from Israel two weeks ago.”
Israel's energy minister earlier said his country had agreed to enter US-mediated talks with Lebanon on maritime borders that would have an impact on offshore oil and gas exploration.
Last year, Lebanon signed its first contract to drill for oil and gas in its waters, including for a block disputed by its southern neighbour Israel, with which it has fought several wars.
A consortium composed of energy giants Total, Eni and Novatek was awarded two of Lebanon's 10 exploration blocks last year.
It is set to start drilling in block 4 in December, and later in the disputed block 9.
Last year, Total said it was aware of the border dispute in less than eight percent of block 9 and said it would drill away from that area.
In April, Lebanon invited international consortia to bid for five more blocks, which include two also adjacent to Israel's waters.
Israel also produces natural gas from reserves off its coast in the Mediterranean.
Israel and Lebanon are still technically at war, although the last Israeli troops withdrew from southern Lebanon in 2000 after two decades of occupation.
Source: Naharnet
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