Lebanese President Michel Aoun and Prime Minister Najib Mikati meet on Saturday to discuss US mediator to maritime border discussions Amos Hochstein. (Courtesy of Lebanese Presidency's Twitter account)
BEIRUT — President Michel Aoun met with caretaker Prime Minister Najib Mikati on Saturday to discuss the demarcation of Lebanon’s maritime borders ahead of American mediator Amos Hochstein’s visit amid disputes with Israel over gas exploration land rights.
Here’s what we know:
• “President Aoun discussed with caretaker Prime Minister Najib Mikati Lebanon’s position on the delineation of southern maritime borders on the eve of American mediator in the indirect negotiations Amos Hochstein's two-day visit Monday to Beirut,” the Presidency tweeted.
• “Senior Advisor Amos Hochstein will travel to Lebanon June 13-14 to discuss sustainable solutions to Lebanon’s energy crisis. During his visit, Mr. Hochstein will underscore the Biden Administration’s hope that Lebanon and Israel can reach a decision on the delimitation of the maritime boundary,” the US State Department announced Saturday.
• On June 5, a floating production, storage and offloading unit belonging to the London-listed power company Energean arrived to part of the disputed exclusive economic zone between Israel and Lebanon with the aim to start drilling the Karish gas field on behalf of the Israeli state, prompting tensions and fears from Lebanon’s politicians and experts.
• Indirect negotiations between Lebanon and Israel had begun on the basis of Lebanese claims registered at the United Nations in 2011, in reference to Decree No. 6433 of 2011 concerning a zone of 860 square kilometers delimited by Line 23. The negotiations were interrupted when the Lebanese delegation, then led by Lebanese Army General Bassam Yassine, announced its intention to claim an additional area of 1,430 square kilometers delineated by “Line 29,” which bisects the Karish field. However, Lebanese authorities have not yet made the amendment of Decree No. 6433 necessary to make the claim official, instead addressing an official letter to the UN stating that the Karish field is within a contested area and that Lebanon “holds to the respect of its offshore resources.”