Lebanon: Govt rejects appointed demarcation delegation

BEIRUT

Lebanon’s government on Monday objected to the presidency’s mechanism for appointing a negotiating delegation for demarcating its southern borders with Israel.

The government said in a statement that it sent the General Directorate of the Presidency a reminder of Article 52 of the Lebanese Constitution.

The article states: "The President of the Republic shall negotiate and ratify international treaties in agreement with the Prime Minister. These treaties are not considered ratified except after approve by the Council of Ministers. They shall be made known to the Chamber and Deputies whenever the national interests and security of the state permit."

The government said that negotiations and the assignment of delegations to negotiate should be decided "by joint agreement between the president of the republic and the head of government, and any other approach constitutes a clear violation of the constitution with the consequent results."

Earlier Monday, the presidency’s media office announced in a statement the names of the technical negotiation delegation on border demarcation.

Earlier this month, Lebanese Parliament Speaker Nabih Berri announced that negotiations under UN auspices would start with Israel on border demarcation in the middle of the month.

Lebanon is locked in a conflict with Israel over an area in the Mediterranean Sea spanning about 860 square kilometers (some 332 square miles), known as Zone No. 9, which is rich in oil and gas. In 2016, Beirut announced the launch of the first round of licenses for exploration.

The maritime borders between Lebanon and Israel have not seen any military conflicts, unlike the land borders.

Hezbollah controls the area bordering Israel, and sporadic tensions take place as Tel Aviv accuses the group of attempting to breach the border.

* Writing by Mahmoud Barakat