Lebanon and Israel on Wednesday concluded the first-round of US-mediated indirect talks to resolve their maritime border dispute. The second round of talks is scheduled for Oct. 28, Lebanese state media reported. The two countries, still technically at war, insist the UN-sponsored talks are purely technical and not a sign of any normalization of ties. The talks took place at a UN post along the border known as Ras Naqoura on the edge of the Lebanese border town of Naqoura. The US has been mediating the issue for around a decade, but only earlier this month a breakthrough was reached over an agreement on a framework for mediated talks. The two neighbors both claim 860 square km of the Mediterranean Sea as being within their own exclusive economic zone. Lebanon, whose economy is in tatters, began offshore drilling earlier this year and hopes to start drilling for gas in the disputed area in the coming months. Lebanon has divided its expanse of waters into 10 blocks, of which three are in the area under dispute with Israel. Israel has already developed a natural gas industry elsewhere in its economic waters, producing enough gas for domestic consumption and to export to neighboring Egypt and Jordan. "We have no illusions. Our aim is not to create here some kind of normalization or some kind of peace process," a senior official with Israel's Energy Ministry said. He spoke on condition of anonymity because he was not authorized to speak to the media. "Our aim is very strict and limited and therefore hopefully achievable," he added. Lebanon's outgoing Foreign Minister Charbel Wehbi said Lebanese negotiators will be "more fierce than they expect because we have nothing to lose." He added that if Lebanon's economy collapses, "there is no interest in making concessions." It is unclear how long the talks will go on for. The US' envoy to the Middle East, Assistant Secretary David Schenker, arrived in Lebanon on Monday to "facilitate the opening session of negotiations", a State Department statement said earlier this week. Washington's ambassador to Algeria, John Desrocher, will serve as the US mediator for the duration of the talks. "As announced on Oct. 1, the framework agreement to commence discussions on the maritime boundary is a vital step forward that offers the potential to yield greater stability, security, and prosperity for Lebanese and Israeli citizens alike," the statement added. — Euronews
