Lebanon Insistent that U.N. Demarcate Maritime Border

Lebanon has stressed its right to demarcate its maritime border in order to take advantage of its offshore oil wealth, security sources told the Central News Agency on Wednesday.

It demanded, during the regular tripartite meeting between Lebanon, Israel, and the United Nations Interim Force in Lebanon held on the Lebanese-Israeli border at Ras al-Naqoura, that the U.N. take over the matter of demarcating the border.

The U.N. and its Secretary General Ban Ki-moon were handed a file, containing maps and researches, confirming Lebanon’s right to exploit its petroleum wealth, said the sources.

They added that UNIFIL stated that the demarcation of the maritime border does not fall within its jurisdiction or that of U.N. Security Council resolution 1701.

Earlier on Wednesday, UNIFIL Commander, Major-General Alberto Asarta Cuevas, chaired “a regular tripartite meeting with senior officials from the Lebanese Armed Forces (LAF) and the Israel Defense Forces (IDF) at the U.N. Position at Ras al-Naqoura crossing” on the Lebanese-Israeli border, UNIFIL said in a statement.

The conferees discussed issues related to UNIFIL’s mandate, “including the situation along the Line of Withdrawal (Blue Line), violations and incidents as well as the issue of withdrawal of Israeli forces from northern Ghajar,” UNIFIL added.

The Lebanese and Israeli sides expressed their “full support and commitment to work together with UNIFIL for the implementation of the relevant provisions of resolution 1701.”

“The situation in the area of operations is generally quiet and stable, with parties maintaining their commitment to the cessation of hostilities,” Asarta said after the meeting.

He stressed that the parties should utilize the tripartite forum to discuss the relevant issues.

According to UNIFIL’s statement, U.N. chief Ban also emphasized the importance of the tripartite meetings.

“The Tripartite forum continues to be an indispensable element in the regular liaison and coordination between UNIFIL and the parties, and remained a key mechanism to address security and military operational issues related to the implementation of resolution 1701,” UNIFIL quoted Ban as saying.