Lebanese Parliament Speaker Nabih Berri is expected on Thursday to announce the establishment of a framework for mediated talks with Israel over the countries' shared sea border, Lebanese paper Al-Akhbar, considered a mouthpiece of the terrorist organization Hezbollah, reported on Wednesday.
According to the report, Berri will unveil the agreement two weeks before US Assistant Secretary of State David Schenker is slated to arrive in Lebanon.
Follow Israel Hayom on Facebook and Twitter
Over the past two days, Maj. Gen. Stefano Del Col, the commander of the United Nations peacekeeping force in Lebanon (UNIFIL) toured the country's south alongside UN Special Coordinator for Lebanon Jan Kubis. The two reportedly met with Berri for the purpose of making final amendments to the framework agreement.
The report also noted that the indirect negotiations are scheduled to begin following Schenker's visit.
In the past, Al-Akhbar has reported that these talks would be mediated by the UN and the United States and that Lebanon wants to link the disputes over the countries' land and maritime borders, such that the contested Shebaa Farms area could also be on the table. The report also said the talks would not have a deadline.
Energy Minister Yuval Steinitz will lead the Israeli delegation in the talks, which are likely to be held via video conference because of the coronavirus pandemic, an Israeli official said last weekend.
Israel and Lebanon have no diplomatic relations and are technically in a state of war. They each claim about 860 square kilometers (330 square miles) of the Mediterranean Sea as within their own exclusive economic zones.
Both are hoping to explore and develop new gas fields in the Mediterranean following a number of big finds in recent years. US diplomats have been shuttling between the two countries and pushing for talks in recent years.
Lebanon, which is mired in a severe economic crisis, is especially keen to develop offshore energy resources.
Subscribe to Israel Hayom's daily newsletter and never miss our top stories!
