Mediators: Israel-Lebanon maritime talks productive

beirut — Talks between Israel and Lebanon over disputed maritime borders were productive and are expected to resume next month, the US and the United Nations said on Thursday.

The US-mediated indirect talks, hosted by the UN in a tent in a southern Lebanese border town, convened for a second straight day on Thursday after their launch earlier this month.

The talks are the first non-security ones between the two countries, which are technically at war.

Lebanon’s official delegation, led by the army, had no immediate comment. After nearly four hours of talks on Thursday, the delegation went to brief President Michel Aoun.

Lebanon brought new maps to the talks, pushing for what local media and experts called a “maximalist stance” aimed at rectifying previous positions that pushed for a smaller area to be part of the country’s territorial waters.

“Building on progress from their October 14 meeting, on October 28 and 29 representatives from the governments of Israel and Lebanon held productive talks mediated by the United States and hosted by the Office of the United Nations Special Coordinator for Lebanon,” a joint statement said. “The United States and UNSCOL remain hopeful that these negotiations will lead to a long-awaited resolution.”

Lebanese and Israeli officials have declined to comment on the secret, indirect talks. But Lebanese media, quoting informed officials, said the government is pushing for new maps to demarcate disputed maritime borders that involve potentially lucrative oil and gas deals.

The Lebanese delegation — a mix of army generals and professionals — offered a new map on Wednesday that pushes for an additional 1,430 square kilometres.

This area is to be included in Lebanese territory on top of the already disputed 860 square kilometre area of the Mediterranean Sea that each side claims is within their own exclusive economic zones, according to local media.

An Israeli official informed about the negotiations said on Thursday the Israeli delegation wouldn’t discuss Lebanon’s maximalist proposal, which effectively lays claim to parts of Israel’s Karish gas field.

The Israeli official said the negotiations should be on the lines previously submitted by the two countries to the UN The official spoke on condition of anonymity.

The United States and UNSCOL remain hopeful that these negotiations will lead to a longawaited resolution Joint statement