BEIRUT (AP) — Months after they stalled, indirect talks between Lebanon and Israel over their disputed maritime border are to resume next week, a US-mediating team said. Resolving the border issue could pave the way for lucrative oil and gas deals on both sides. Israel and Lebanon each claim about 860 square kilometers (330 square miles) of the Mediterranean Sea. But in the second round of talks, the Lebanese delegation — a mix of army officers and experts — offered a new map that pushes for an additional 1,430 square kilometers (550 square miles) for Lebanon. Earlier this month, Lebanon’s outgoing public works minister, Michel Najjar, signed a decree extending Lebanon’s claim to include additional 1,430 square kilometers (550 square miles) at sea, though the decree still requires the president’s signature.

Source: Egypt Independent April 30, 2021 14:03 UTC