Lebanon, Israel begin indirect talks on border demarcation

Lebanon and Israel today began the US-mediated indirect talks on maritime border demarcation, LBCI local TV channel reported.

Head of the Lebanese delegation Brigadier General Pilot Bassam Yassin said that Lebanon aims at negotiating the border demarcation by respecting international laws and expected other parties to fulfill their obligations based on their commitment to the requirements of international laws, Xinhua news agency reported.

Yassin said that this first round of negotiations constitutes the first step in the demarcation of the southern borders.

The talks were held at the headquarters of the UN Interim Force in Lebanon (UNIFIL) in Naqoura, just north of the UN-demarcated Blue Line separating Israel and Lebanon in the presence of Assistant Secretary of State for Near Eastern Affairs David Schenker and UN Special Coordinator for Lebanon Jan Kubis.

Lebanon has an unresolved maritime border with Israel that involves a triangular sea area of about 860 square km extending along the edge of three of its 10 offshore energy blocks..