Lebanon’s President Michel Aoun affirmed his country’s right to extract oil and gas within its exclusive economic zone, stressing the refusal to join any forum or cooperation mechanism in which Israel participates, especially the East Mediterranean Gas Forum.
Seven Mediterranean countries, including Cyprus, Egypt and Israel, agreed earlier this year to launch the Eastern Mediterranean Gas Forum, to be based in Cairo, aimed at establishing a regional gas market that serves the interests of the members.
Speaking at a press conference with his Greek counterpart, Prokopis Pavlopoulos, after talks at Baabda Palace, Aoun welcomed the meeting of the tripartite summit between Lebanon, Greece and Cyprus, which will be hosted by Cyprus, to consolidate various aspects of joint cooperation.
Gas exploration in the eastern Mediterranean is raising hopes about an economic transition that could consolidate partnerships in the region, but at the same time is causing concerns over potential tension over disputed territorial waters, such as the case between Lebanon and Israel.
For his part, Parliament Speaker Nabih Berri, underlined the need for a tripartite meeting between Greece, Lebanon and Cyprus to discuss the cooperation mechanism of oil exploration.
Following his meeting with the Greek president on Thursday, Berri said: “We discussed many issues, especially those concerning maritime borders and the special relations that must continue between the three countries,” he said.
Lebanon’s top officials, including Prime Minister Saad Hariri and Foreign Minister Gebran Bassil, held a series of meetings on Thursday with the Greek President and Cypriot Foreign Minister Nikos Christodoulides.
Talks focused on the means to deter possible conflicts that could prevent the exploration of energy in additional maritime areas in the Mediterranean.
The meetings come a week after Lebanon launched the second licensing cycle for oil exploration in Lebanese waters, in five blocks, three of which are adjacent to the Cypriot waters
