Cypriot Minister in Beirut Next Week to Discuss Maritime Economic Zone

W460

Lebanon's maritime border file with Cyprus, Israel and Syria is expected to resurface again when Cypriot Foreign Minister, Nikos Christodoulides, visits Beirut on an official visit to the country next week, al-Joumhouria daily reported on Saturday.

Christodoulides is expected to fly in Beirut Thursday at the invitation of his Lebanese counterpart Jebran Bassil. He will hold talks with senior Lebanese officials, according to the daily.

“A large Cypriot delegation will accompany the minister, along with experts in demarcating the island's maritime borders with its neighbors on the eastern side of the Mediterranean Sea to discuss all forms of economic, financial and investment cooperation between the two countries,” said the daily.

The Cypriot minister will meet with President Michel Aoun, Speaker Nabih Berri, PM Saad Hariri and Bassil.

“He prepared a file related to the existing disputes over the maritime borders of the economic zone between Lebanon and Cyprus, Israel and Syria,” it said.

Lebanon recently signed its first contract to drill for oil and gas in a pair of offshore zones, including one that its southern neighbour Israel says belongs to it.

Lebanese officials have said the whole zone belongs to Beirut while Israeli Defence Minister Avigdor Lieberman has insisted it is solidly in Israeli territory.

SourceNaharnet
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