Lebanon is satisfied with the draft agreement on maritime border demarcation with Israel and believes that all of its demands have been taken into account, the office of Lebanese President Michel Aoun said on Tuesday
MOSCOW (Pakistan Point News / Sputnik - 11th October, 2022) Lebanon is satisfied with the draft agreement on maritime border demarcation with Israel and believes that all of its demands have been taken into account, the office of Lebanese President Michel Aoun said on Tuesday.
Last Sunday, Lebanon received the final version of the document to be signed with Israel from US mediator Amos Hochstein.
"The Presidency of the Republic considers the final version of this offer satisfactory to Lebanon, especially as it meets the Lebanese demands that have been the focus of a long debate during the past months and required effort and long hours of difficult and complex negotiations," the office said in a statement.
Under the agreement, Beirut retains all rights to natural resources, the presidency said, expressing the hope that the agreement will be formally concluded soon.
According to the statement, President Aoun will now hold consultations to affirm a "unified national position" on the agreement.
Earlier in the day, Eyal Hulata, the head of the Israeli National Security Council, also said that Israel was satisfied with the draft agreement, as all Israeli requirements had been taken into account.
The negotiations on the demarcation of land and maritime borders between Lebanon and Israel have been taking place in Naqoura since 1996 on the basis of the memorandum of understanding under the UN auspices and the US mediation. In June 2022, Israel urged the Lebanese authorities to speed up the talks. It called the Karish gas field its strategic asset and assured Lebanon of the absence of plans to produce gas in the disputed territory.
