Lebanon preparing to offer compromise on maritime spat with Israel, officials say

By Laila Bassam and Maya Gebeily

BEIRUT (Reuters) -Lebanon is getting ready to supply a compromise to U.S. vitality envoy Amos Hochstein to resolve a dispute with Israel over maritime fuel sources, three Lebanese officers with data of the negotiations instructed Reuters.

Hochstein landed in Beirut on Monday on the invitation of the Lebanese authorities, which had objected to the arrival of a vessel operated by London-based Energean (ENOG.L) off the Mediterranean coast on June 5 to develop a fuel subject generally known as Karish.

Israel says Karish is a part of its unique financial zone, however Lebanon says the sector is in contested waters and shouldn’t be developed till the 2 nations conclude their oblique talks to delineate their maritime borders.

These talks fizzled out final yr after Lebanon pushed its declare within the disputed zone from a boundary generally known as “Line 23” additional south to “Line 29,” including round 1,400 sq. km (540 sq. miles) to its declare, together with a part of Karish.

To beat the deadlock, Hochstein proposed a field-swap that will create an S-shaped boundary as a substitute of a straight line, however Lebanon didn’t formally conform to the proposal, official sources stated.

Lebanon has insisted on renewing the oblique talks, however has not but publicly introduced whether or not it will follow Line 29 as a beginning place for these negotiations.

The U.S. take into account Line 29 a “non-starter,” in line with sources.

Three Lebanese officers with data of the inner course of to finalise a authorities stance stated that Lebanon would drop claims to Line 29.

The sources stated President Michel Aoun would meet Hochstein on Tuesday morning and suggest “Line 23, plus a bit of extra.”

One of many officers specified that Aoun’s place could be a declare to Line 23 along with 300 km sq that features the Qana subject, however not Karish.

Aoun would demand that oblique talks resume as quickly as doable and that Israel cease all works at Karish till negotiations are concluded, two of the officers stated.

MP Mark Daou, who visited Aoun on Monday as a part of a bunch of unbiased parliamentarians, stated the president instructed the lawmakers he “can not insist on Line 29” as a place to begin.

“President Aoun instructed us that Lebanon doesn’t have the technical foundations on which to assemble a case for Line 29 as a result of earlier governments had failed to supply formal documentation to take care of this place,” Daou instructed Reuters.

Alain Aoun, a lawmaker from the Free Patriotic Motion which was based by the president, stated Lebanon could be making a counter-offer to Hochstein’s proposal however didn’t give particulars.

Hochstein met with caretaker vitality minister Walid Fayad and deputy speaker of parliament Elias Bou Saab on Monday however made no public feedback.

(Reporting by Laila Bassam and Maya Gebeily; Modifying by Angus MacSwan and Toby Chopra)