After decades of conflict, Lebanon and Israel started on Wednesday the first round of unprecedented talks over their disputed maritime border, according to an official source at the UN.
"Yes, they have started," the source told AFP at around 10:30 am (0730 GMT) without disclosing additional details.
The US-mediated meeting between officials from both sides is held at the headquarters of the UN Interim Force in Lebanon (UNIFIL).
According to the US State Department, David Schenker, US undersecretary of state for Near Eastern affairs preside over the inaugural session of the maritime talks.
On its part, Beirut insists that these talks “have nothing to do with normalization” of ties with Israel.
Earlier, Lebanese President Aoun met with the Lebanese negotiating delegation, and expressed hope “to reach a just solution that protects the sovereign rights of the Lebanese people.”
According to Aoun’s media office: “The negotiations are technical and limited to demarcating the maritime borders … The US party is present in the negotiations as a mediator to facilitate the process.”
He instructed the delegation “to stick to and defend Lebanese rights recognized internationally.”
It is worth mentioning that, the U.S.-mediated talks follow three years of diplomacy by the United States and were announced weeks after Washington stepped up pressure on allies of Lebanon’s Iran-backed Hezbollah, which fought a month-long war with Israel in 2006, according to Reuters.
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