U.S. Says Border Talks Can Boost Stability in Lebanon, Israel
The agreement to commence discussions on the maritime boundary between Lebanon and Israel "is a vital step forward that offers the potential to yield greater stability, security, and prosperity for Lebanese and Israeli citizens alike," the U.S. State Department said Monday.
In a statement, it added that U.S. Assistant Secretary of State for Near Eastern Affairs David Schenker, the top American diplomat for the Middle East, will be in Lebanon ahead of Wednesday’s talks to attend the opening session.
It also said that Schenker will be joined by Ambassador John Desrocher, who will serve as the U.S. mediator for these negotiations.
The talks will be held at the headquarters of the U.N. peacekeeping force in the southern Lebanese border town of Naqoura.
Israel and Lebanon have no diplomatic relations and are technically in a state of war. They each claim about 860 square kilometers of the Mediterranean Sea as within their own exclusive economic zones.
Israel's Energy Minister Yuval Steinitz will lead the Israeli delegation, according to Israeli officials.
Lebanese officials have made sure to send a team of experts to show that this week's talks with Israel are purely technical and don't mean any kind of normalization between the two countries.
13 October 2020, 04:54
12
What Trump has accomplished, no other president has ever attained in history.
God bless the U.S.A
13 October 2020, 07:22
11
With regards these talks, there is only one thing certain. Hizballah and Amal will do everything in their power, quite possibly even trying to initiate trouble on the border, to make sure that the talks fail, and that there will be no possibility of any advance with regards other matters such as the land borders.
14 October 2020, 06:33
10
Following on from my comment of yesterday, just now I read that Hizballah and Amal have not even waited for the start of the talks before trying to derail them. They object to the composition of the Lebanese delegation. What next? That they disagree that the Israeli delegation stepping foot on Lebanese territory to get to Nakourah for the talks?
