BEIRUT — Parliament Speaker Nabih Berri said on Tuesday in a meeting with the US mediator for the Lebanese-Israeli maritime borders negotiations Amos Hochstein in Ain al-Tineh that what is happening on the maritime borders with Israel “deprives Lebanon of its rights'” and “disrupts peace in the region,” the state-run National News Agency reported. Berri’s comments come in the midst of rising tensions between Lebanon and Israel following the arrival of a floating gas exploitation unit on June 5 at the Karish gas field, which Israel considers to be inside its exclusive economic zone but Beirut says remains contested.
Here’s what we know:
• "The framework agreement remains the basis and the most appropriate mechanism at the level of indirect negotiations, in accordance with the texts which appear therein and which call for the continuation of meetings with a view to achieving the desired results. These would lead to the delimitation of the border without affecting Lebanon's drilling rights, particularly at the level of block 9,” the NNA quoted Berri as saying. Berri however did not disclose what the terms of the framework agreement he was referring to are.
• Berri also said that "What is happening now violates the agreement on the one hand and deprives Lebanon of its rights, while allowing Israel to extract [gas] and violate [disputed property], which threatens peace in the region and exacerbates the dangerousness of the situation.”
• Block 9 is part of the Qana gas field which line 23 of the maritime border crosses and which Lebanon is trying to secure as its own economic zone.
• Berry also noted that Lebanon “while keen on extracting its wealth, is keen on preserving stability at the same time." He also indicated that "what the American mediator was informed of by the president about the maritime border and the rights of Lebanon to exploit its oil wealth is agreed by all the Lebanese.”
• Hochstein , who arrived on Monday, spoke earlier on Tuesday with caretaker Prime Minister Najib Mikati and President Michel Aoun, who said that he responded to the proposal presented “a few months ago” by Hochstein concerning the maritime border dispute with Israel.