Israel has said it was open to US-mediated talks with Lebanon on resolving a dispute over their maritime border, as Acting US Assistant Secretary of State for Near Eastern Affairs David Satterfield is set to arrive in Beirut on Tuesday.
Israel accepted a Lebanese demand to involve the United Nations in the mediation, and that both land and sea disputes be resolved together.
However, the Lebanese presidency and other officials avoided commenting on the statements made by Israeli Energy Minister Yuval Steinitz pending Satterfield’s return to Beirut.
“We have to wait until we meet with Satterfield to know what news the US official is bringing with him,” sources close to Speaker Nabih Berri told Asharq Al-Awsat.
The sources said Lebanon is attached to the UN mediation in talks with Israel, or in other terms, the direct involvement of the international organization in the border demarcation.
Satterfield is expected in Beirut Tuesday a day after visiting Israel where he met with Steinitz.
The Israeli Minister said Tel Aviv was open to negotiations "for the benefit of both countries' interests in developing natural gas reserves and oil."
The issue was also discussed on Monday at the Baabda presidential palace, where President Michel Aoun tackled with UN Special Coordinator for Lebanon Jan Kubis the world body’s role in the demarcation of Lebanon's southern border.
The pair also discussed preparations for the UN chief's report on the implementation of Security Council Resolution 1701.
Last year, Lebanon signed its first contract to drill for oil and gas in its waters.
The contract includes the disputed block 9, which Beirut says is in Lebanon’s Exclusive Economic Zone (EEZ), while Israel claims as its own.
The two countries have an unresolved maritime border dispute over a triangular area of sea measuring around 860 square kilometers.
