Lebanon has warned its Mediterranean neighbors against infringing on its rights within its exclusive economic zone (EEZ).
Lebanese Foreign Minister Gebran Bassil said Thursday he had written to UN Secretary General Antonio Guterres, EU foreign policy head Federica Mogherini and the foreign ministers of Cyprus, Greece and Italy to request that a planned EastMed gas pipeline from Israel to the European Union does not violate Lebanon’s maritime borders.
Bassil said Lebanon would not allow its sovereignty to be breached, "especially when it comes to any eventual attempt from Israel to encroach on Lebanon's sovereign rights and jurisdiction over its EEZ".
Lebanon last year licensed a consortium of Italy's Eni, France's Total and Russia's Novatek to carry out the country's first offshore energy exploration in two blocks. One of the blocks, Block 9, contains waters disputed with Israel.
US Acting Assistant Secretary of the Bureau of Near Eastern Affairs David Satterfield was in Beirut this week to discuss the matter.
