U.S. and U.N. Say Lebanon and Israel Held 'Productive Talks'

Representatives from the governments of Israel, Lebanon, and the United States met on October 14 to launch discussions aimed at “reaching consensus on a common Israel-Lebanon maritime boundary,” the U.S. and the U.N. said on Wednesday.  

“During this initial meeting, the representatives held productive talks and reaffirmed their commitment to continue negotiations later this month,” a joint statement issued by the Government of the United States and the Office of the U.N. Special Coordinator for Lebanon said.

The negotiations were mediated and facilitated by the U.S. team, led by Assistant Secretary David Schenker and Ambassador John Desrocher, and hosted by U.N. Special Coordinator for Lebanon Jan Kubis.  

The Israeli delegation was headed by Udi Adiri, Director General of the Ministry of Energy. The Lebanese delegation was meanwhile headed by Brigadier General Bassam Yassine, the Lebanese Army’s Deputy Chief of Staff for Operations.