Submit your comments on this article |
Israel-Palestine-Jordan |
U.S. and U.N. Say Lebanon and Israel Held 'Productive Talks' |
2020-10-15 |
The Lebanese view: [AnNahar] Representatives from the governments of Israel, Leb![]() , and the United States met on October 14 to launch discussions aimed at "reaching consensus on a common Israel-Lebanon maritime boundary," the U.S. and the U.N. said on Wednesday.   "During this initial meeting, the representatives held productive talks and reaffirmed their commitment to continue negotiations later this month," a joint statement issued by the Government of the United States and the Office of the U.N. Special Coordinator for Lebanon said. The negotiations were mediated and facilitated by the U.S. team, led by Assistant Secretary David Schenker and Ambassador John Desrocher, and hosted by U.N. Special Coordinator for Lebanon Jan Kubis. The Israeli delegation was headed by Udi Adiri, Director General of the Ministry of Energy. The Lebanese delegation was meanwhile headed by Brigadier General Bassam Yassine, the Lebanese Army’s Deputy Chief of Staff for Operations. The Israeli view: Lebanese team refuses to talk to Israelis in maritime border negotiations[Jpost] The Lebanese side's statements about the meeting emphasized that they are "indirect" and "technical." Leb’s representatives would not speak directly to the Israeli delegation in the first meeting for negotiations about the border between the countries’ exclusive economic zones on Wednesday, according to the Lebanese side. The meeting lasted about an hour and a half. The Israeli and Lebanese teams met in tents at the UN Interim Force in Lebanon (UNIFIL) headquarters in Naqoura, which is near the border with Israel, with US Ambassador to Algeria John Desrocher mediating. The US State Department said: "During this initial meeting, the representatives held productive talks and reaffirmed their commitment to continue negotiations later this month." The Energy Ministry said the sides discussed the format of the negotiations and set a schedule for future meetings, saying the next one will be in the coming weeks. The Lebanese delegation said the next negotiation meeting will take place on October 28, and they will continue every two weeks. |
Posted by:trailing wife |