U.S.-led Negotiations between Israel, Lebanon over EEZ Reach Deadlock

إقرأ هذا الخبر بالعربية W460

Mediation led by the United States to resolve a dispute between Lebanon and Israel over their Exclusive Economic Zones (EEZ) has reached a deadlock after a top U.S. official described it as “excellent” earlier this month.

U.S. Department of State Deputy Assistant Secretary for Energy Diplomacy Amos Hochstein, who is mediating the talks between the two countries, confirmed that the dispute on oil block 9.

The U.S. is holding on to a proposal to establish a “maritime Blue Line” that would help both countries control any violation of their territorial waters.

The Israeli Globes said that the “border would be deemed temporary, until a permanent solution is found.”

Lebanon had previously voiced consensus over the proposal.

Hochstein met earlier in April during a short visit to Lebanon with senior officials including President Michel Suleiman, PM Tammam Salam, Energy Minister Arthur Nazarian, Foreign Minister Jebran Bassil, Speaker Nabih Berri's adviser Ali Hamdan, U.N. Special Coordinator for Lebanon Derek Plumbly and head of al-Mustaqbal parliamentary bloc Fouad Saniora.

The Globes said that Lebanon considers it as “a good starting point that needs fine tuning."

However, the Israeli daily said the dispute between Lebanon and Israel on oil block 9 is delaying the matter.

Lebanon's oil and gas wealth had attracted around 46 Arab and international companies in the second pre-qualification round of the tenders process.

The tender has been previously postponed for several times over the failure of former Prime Minister Najib Miqati's cabinet to approve the decrees that call for demarcating 10 maritime oil exploration blocks and setting up a revenue-sharing model.

The awarding of Lebanon's 10 oil blocks have been postponed from April to August over acute discord among Lebanese officials.

Lebanon and Israel are bickering over a maritime zone that consists of about 854 square kilometers and suspected energy reserves there could generate billions of dollars.

Lebanese officials continuously expressed fear that Israel's discovery of a new offshore gas field near Lebanese territorial waters means the Jewish state could siphon some of Lebanon's crude oil.

In March 2010, the U.S. Geological Survey estimated a mean of 1.7 billion barrels of recoverable oil and a mean of 34.5 trillion cubic meters of recoverable gas in the Levant Basin in the eastern Mediterranean, which includes the territorial waters of Lebanon, Israel, Syria and Cyprus.

The U.S. had offered to mediate between the sides in an attempt to reach a solution.

Beirut argues that a maritime map it submitted to the U.N. is in line with an armistice accord drawn up in 1949, an agreement which is not contested by Israel.

H.K.

G.K.

Comments 9
Thumb kanaanljdid 24 April 2014, 09:52

Time has come to settle all the matters around a table. The perspective of normalization if offered by Lebanon could make Israelis give up easily and Lebanon would get all what it wants (see demarcation and land demarcation with Shebaa farms in Lebanon).

Thumb kanaanljdid 24 April 2014, 09:53

sea border demarcation*

Missing phillipo 24 April 2014, 10:14

It is about time the Lebanese and Israelis sat down to talk again about their common future. This time there are no Syrian forces in the country to sabotage the talks and tear up the possible agreements.
Peace can only bring benefits to both sides.

Missing coolmec 24 April 2014, 10:31

philippo
the issue here is that our leaders want to secure personal gains before they move forward. Do you think anything will happen before that??

Thumb -phoenix1 24 April 2014, 13:03

Coolmec, I agree with you, the oil, for all I know is pinned down because of the greed of our politicians, both sides of the M divide want their personal as well as the party cut secured. They're not interested for the people's well-being, that's the very last thing on their minds, just like they've stolen our beaches, our mountains, just like they've ganged together to create a fake electricity crisis, and created the Mazout and Moteur mafia, so are they now trying with our oil and gas wealth. Tragically for them, the wealth is in international arbitration, and sadly for us, we will have to wait. regarding what Philippo said, I also agree with him, that the time has now dawned when we and Israel need to sit at the same table and sort out everything between us. Palestinians are doing it, so why can't we?

Missing coolmec 24 April 2014, 10:29

Good job you corrupt Lebanese politicians, keep bickering, keep delaying our oil exploration because you want a giant share to your personal account, In the meantime Israel of course likes the delaying of an accord because it has started siphoning off our oil and gas.
Despicable leaders Pffffffffffffffff

Thumb thepatriot 24 April 2014, 11:32

Yes FT... and FPM... they are only the reflection of Gibran Bassil...impeccable!

Missing -samy 24 April 2014, 14:47

I very much would prefer to give our oil to Israel rather than giving it to our crooks.

Missing -samy 24 April 2014, 16:18

I will take Israel anytime over your filthy partners... anytime you retarded terrorist.