Israel open to US-led talks with Lebanon over border dispute


Save Story
Leer en español

Estimated read time: Less than a minute

This archived news story is available only for your personal, non-commercial use. Information in the story may be outdated or superseded by additional information. Reading or replaying the story in its archived form does not constitute a republication of the story.

JERUSALEM (AP) — Israel says it's willing to engage in U.S.-mediated talks with Lebanon to resolve a border dispute over a sliver of the Mediterranean Sea seen as rich with energy resources.

Energy Minister Yuval Steinitz said he met Monday with U.S. envoy David Satterfield, who has shuttled between the countries with the aim of demarcating their maritime boundary over past weeks.

Steinitz "expressed Israel's openness'" to negotiations "for the benefit of both countries' interests in developing natural gas reserves and oil."

Israel and Lebanon, technically still at war, each claim some 860 square kilometers (330 square miles) of sea as within their own exclusive economic zones. Earlier this month, Lebanese President Michel Aoun said he presented Satterfied with Lebanon's "united stance" and encouraged U.S. diplomatic involvement.

Satterfied returns to Beirut on Tuesday.

Copyright © The Associated Press. All rights reserved. This material may not be published, broadcast, rewritten or redistributed.

Most recent Business stories

Related topics

Business
The Associated Press

    STAY IN THE KNOW

    Get informative articles and interesting stories delivered to your inbox weekly. Subscribe to the KSL.com Trending 5.
    By subscribing, you acknowledge and agree to KSL.com's Terms of Use and Privacy Policy.
    Newsletter Signup

    KSL Weather Forecast

    KSL Weather Forecast
    Play button