Beirut: In anticipation of the US Envoy for Energy Affairs Amos Hochstein’s expected visit to Lebanon next week to discuss the demarcation of the maritime boundary, Lebanon sent a letter to the United Nations “on line 23 to line 29 of negotiations on the southern maritime boundary”. The right to amend Decree No. 6433 in the event of unwillingness and failure to reach an impartial solution.
The letter clearly states that “the area between lines 1 and 23 is the disputed area, with an increase of 1,430 sq km in addition to the previous 860 sq km, over the area between lines 23 and 29, including the Karish gas field.” included.”
In this paper, Lebanon does not adhere to the “oil field for oil field” negotiation principle, i.e. the Qana area in favor of Lebanon versus the Karish field for Israel. Instead, it includes a clear indication that the Karish region is “a disputed area, and Israel cannot continue its exploration operations or begin extraction operations.”
The letter from Lebanon emphasized that “Israel’s actions in that disputed area endanger international peace and security.”
The development is seen as an escalation by Lebanon to accelerate indirect talks with Israel, which is being controlled by the US under the auspices of the United Nations.
The letter addressed to the President of the Security Council on 28 January under the guidance of President Michel Aoun and whose contents had just been made public stipulates that Lebanon exercises its authority over an area of 2,290 sq km and not 860 sq. km only.
A political observer told Arab News that Aun had sent the letter to the government, but received no response to approve or oppose it.
The Observer said, “The letter contained a veiled threat aimed at expediting negotiations and achieving achievements before Aun’s mandate expires, and perhaps to recommend her son-in-law, MP Gebran Basil, as his successor.” To open closed political doors.”
The letter read: “In respect of the principle of the ‘Negotiation Path’, which was not reached after indirect negotiations, one cannot claim that there is a proven Israeli Exclusive Economic Zone, contrary to what has been claimed by the Israeli side. – Called the Karish field.”
Maroon al-Khawli, national coordinator of the Lebanese Coalition for Good Governance at Extractive Industries, said: “The letter … will constitute an impetus for dialogue between Lebanon and Israel and accelerate the process of reaching a final agreement.
“The purpose of moving the talks from Line 23 to Line 29 is to stifle Israel’s ambition to seize the disputed area, including the Karish region, and to start drilling operations taking advantage of the absence of Lebanese sovereign decision on the region.” Because of its oil interests and exploration, contracts are ready in the disputed area.”
Al-Khawli said: “There is a consensus among various parties inside and outside the ruling authority on the need to keep internal conflicts out of dialogue with Israel and to place this issue above all political, partisan or personal views.”
At the end of December 2021, Israel’s ambassador to the United Nations, Gilad Erden, submitted an objection to UN Secretary-General Antonio Guterres about “Lebanon opening a second licensing round for oil and gas exploration in offshore waters, which will be announced in November 2021.” It was commissioned by the Minister of Energy, Walid Fayed, in 2008. And it is spread over 860 sq km of a disputed area.”
The Lebanese letter further underlined that Lebanon “still depends on the success of the mediation efforts undertaken by the American mediator, and emphasized its commitment to reach a negotiated solution to maritime boundaries under the auspices of the United Nations, whose meaning that the resumption of negotiations from where they were was abandoned regardless of any preconditions except compliance with the laws. In this context, we reiterate that Lebanon did not take any additional steps with respect to the arbitration principle Is raised.”
Hochstein’s visit to Lebanon was postponed on several occasions until the Lebanese side “agreed to proceed with the cards they were dealt.”
Lebanon and Israel are officially still at war, and there is no demarcation of land or sea borders between the two countries. The United Nations changed the land boundary, known as the Blue Line, to include several disputed areas.
Lebanon has shown some inconsistency in the demarcation of its maritime borders, as it drew a boundary from Ras al-Nakoura to Line 23 and brought it to the attention of the United Nations in 2011. However, Lebanon later stated that it was based on incorrect guesses, and the correct one was Line 29.
Lebanon demanded an additional area of 1,430 km during the negotiating session, including part of the Israeli Karish gas field in which the Greek Energion plc operates.
However, Lebanon’s request for an amendment to the limit has not yet been sent to the United Nations because Decree No. 6433, which expands the limit to 29, was not amended, as the amendment was before the cabinet was sent to parliament. is yet to be approved.
Israel accused Lebanon of changing its stance on the demarcation of maritime borders during the last round of talks.