Israel Sees Maritime Border Talks With Lebanon Starting by July
- Energy Minister Steinitz says U.S. will mediate negotiations
- Once talks begin, oil companies may be allowed to survey area
Photographer: Carolyn Kaster/Pool/Getty Images
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Israel hopes to begin talks with Lebanon as early as July to resolve a maritime border dispute that has delayed exploration in an offshore area rich in oil and gas, Israel’s energy minister said.
With no diplomatic relations, the two countries have clashed frequently over the years and Israel occupied a swath of southern Lebanon for nearly two decades. Resolving the border dispute would be a significant political achievement for the neighbors, still technically at war, and could mitigate political risk for energy companies looking to drill in a febrile region.