Report: Israel Refuses Border Negotiation under U.N. Auspices
A meeting between Speaker Nabih Berri and US Acting Secretary of State David Saterfield “was not positive,” and Israel “did not agree” that border demarcation talks with Lebanon be held under the auspices of the United Nations, media reports said on Wednesday.
Al-Joumhouria daily said that Berri met with Satterfield, the US envoy mediating border talks between Lebanon and Israel that would have an impact on offshore oil and gas exploration, on Tuesday and that the latter has conveyed Israel’s “refusal” of core points regarding the border talks.
Quoting “informed” sources close to the negotiations, the daily said the US envoy “has come up with positions and proposals that undermine some of what was previously agreed.”
After shuttle meetings between Lebanon and Israel, Satterfield has "conveyed to Speaker Nabih Berri, Israel's refusal to negotiate under the auspices of the United Nations,” they said.
He “backed down” from a proposal that the negotiations be chaired by the UN and under its auspices. He also suggested that some of the negotiation mechanisms be agreed upon “verbally,” said the daily.
“I don't really trust anything written with Israel, how would I trust a verbal agreement,” said Berri, stressing that that talks must be presided and sponsored by the UN, “we do not accept anything else at all," he said.
UN Special Coordinator for Lebanon Jan Kubis had traveled to the United Nations for a while and was appointed to head the negotiations between Lebanon and Israel.
In May, Israel had agreed to enter US-mediated talks with Lebanon on maritime borders.
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
| Copyright © 2012 Naharnet.com. All Rights Reserved. | https://www.naharnet.com/stories/en/262165 |