5th round of Lebanon-Israel demarcation talks begins

By Naim Berjawi
BEIRUT, Lebanon (AA) - A fifth round of negotiations between Lebanon and Israel on their maritime border demarcation kicked off on Tuesday, the official Lebanese News Agency reported.

The UN-brokered negotiations were held at the headquarters of the United Nations Interim Force (UNIFIL) in the Naqoura region in southern Lebanon.

According to the agency, the talks come "to discuss the demarcation of the maritime borders, as Lebanon stresses its right to all its maritime wealth”.

No further details were provided about the duration of the negotiations.

Former US Ambassador to Algeria John Desrocher is the mediator in the talks.

On Monday, Lebanese President Michel Aoun said Lebanon's response to the resumption of the indirect negotiations "reflects its desire to maintain stability and security in the region”, underlining "the importance of correcting the maritime borders in accordance with international laws and regulations”.

Lebanon is locked in a dispute with Israel over an area in the Mediterranean Sea spanning about 860 square kilometers (some 332 square miles), known as Zone No. 9, which is rich with oil and gas.

In 2016, Beirut announced the launch of the first round of licenses for exploration.

The maritime borders between Lebanon and Israel have not seen any military conflicts, unlike their land borders.

Lebanese group Hezbollah controls the area bordering Israel, and sporadic incidents take place from time to time as Tel Aviv accuses the Shia group of attempting to breach the border.

*Bassel Barakat contributed to this report from Ankara