Lebanon's president expresses hope for Israel border talks

Lebanon's president said Wednesday he wants maritime border talks with Israel to succeed and that disagreements during the last round of negotiations can be resolved based on international law.

President Michel Aoun spoke during a meeting with John Desrocher, the US mediator for the negotiations, who was in Beirut for discussions with Lebanese leaders.

The fourth round of talks, which was scheduled to take place Wednesday, was postponed until further notice, officials in the two countries said.

The negotiations are the first non-security talks to be held between the two countries, which have no diplomatic relations and are technically in a state of war following decades of conflict.

Resolving the border issue could pave the way for lucrative oil and gas deals on both sides.

Israel and Lebanon each claim about 860 square kilometers (330 square miles) of the Mediterranean Sea.

During the second round of the talks the Lebanese delegation — a mix of army officers and experts — offered a new map that pushes for an additional 1,430 square kilometers (550 square miles).

Israel's Energy Minister Yuval Steinitz said in an interview with Army Radio last week that "the Lebanese presented positions that are a provocation," but he added that all negotiations start with "excessive demands and provocations."

"I hope that in a few months we’ll be able to reach a breakthrough," he added.

A statement released by Aoun’s office quoted him as telling Desrocher that Lebanon wants the talks to succeed because "this will strengthen stability in the south and allow us to invest in natural resources of oil and gas."

He said difficulties that surfaced during the last round can be solved through discussions based on the Law of the Sea.

Aoun said if the talks stall then "other alternatives can be put forward," without elaborating.

Later in they day, Desrocher met Lebanese army commander Gen. Joseph Aoun and the head of the country's negotiating team, Brig. Gen. Bassam Yassin, the US Embassy and the army command said.

The US Embassy said the talks occurred as part of Ambassador Desrocher’s ongoing mediation efforts on the Lebanon-Israel maritime boundary, adding that the "discussions were productive and allowed for a frank exchange of views on necessary steps to reach a long-awaited and mutually beneficial agreement."

The last round of talks were held in November and hosted by the United Nations in a border post between the two countries.

Israel has already developed offshore natural gas rigs, producing enough for domestic consumption and export abroad.

Lebanon hopes that its own oil and gas discoveries will help alleviate its long-running economic troubles.

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