03 What has Lebanon done so far?
Timeline for Oil and Gas in Lebanon and the region
2001
Lebanon Plans its EEZ
Lebanon’s Higher Council for Privatization commissions Southampton Oceanographic Centre to study demarcation of Exclusive Economic Zone.
Jan 2007
Lebanon and Cyprus Negotiate Maritime Borders
Lebanon and Cyprus agree in principle to terms over demarcating their Exclusive Economic Zones. The Lebanese government has never ratified this agreement.
Apr 2009
Lebanon Determines Northern Points of EEZ
Lebanese army geographers established the limits of the Exclusive Economic Zone along the lines of two points that are shared with Cyprus and Syria.
May 2009
Lebanon Submits EEZ Coordinates to UN
Lebanon’s Council of Ministers endorses the army’s findings and deposits the geographical coordinates defining the Southern limit of Lebanon’s Exclusive Economic Zone at office of the UN Secretary General in July 2010.
Aug 2010
UN to Mitigate Lebanon Israel Maritime Dispute
Maritime boundary proposal submitted to United Nations for mediation with Israel, outcome pending.
Oct 2010
Lebanon Determines Southern Point of EEZ
Lebanon charts the geographical coordinates of its southern maritime border with Israel and its southwestern border with Cyprus with the UN Secretary General. Find UN documentation here
June 2011
Lebanon Clarifies its EEZ Borders to UN
The Lebanese Minister of Foreign Affairs and Emigrants addressed a letter to the UN Secretary General clarifying that Lebanon’s Exclusive Economic Zone boundary.
July 2011
Israel Disputes Lebanon’s EEZ Claims
Israel ignores Lebanon’s protests to the UN and deposits the geographical coordinates of its northern territorial waters Exclusive Economic Zone.
Sep 2011
Lebanon Objects to Cyprus Israel Maritime Borders
Lebanon’s Foreign Minister addresses another letter to the UN Secretary General objecting to the agreement signed between Israel and Cyprus and ascertaining that the points that Israel adopted are in violation of Lebanese sovereignty.
Mar 2012
Cyprus Lebanon Disagree Over Amending Maritime Borders
Cyprus informs Lebanon’s Parliament Speaker Nabih Berri that the flaws that Lebanon claim in the EEZ agreements are of no concern to Cyprus, reiterating that amending the existing treaty with Lebanon will only happen by agreement between the three countries; Cyprus, Lebanon and Israel.
Mar 2012
US Officials Offer to Mediate Maritime Border Disputes
The United States offers to mediate the maritime dispute between Lebanon and Israel.
Dec 2012
US Mediates Lebanon Israel Maritime Dispute
Fredrick Hof, US Special Coordinator for Regional Affaris, gave Lebanon and Israel a map that proposed a compromise for dividing natural gas resources between them. In 2014, the US mediation proposal aimed at creating a ‘Maritime Separation Line.’ The proposal envisaged a buffer zone where no petroleum activities would be allowed without the consent of the other party. It also aimed at reaching a unitization framework agreement for future right holder companies to enter into joint explorations of maritime blocks.
Jun 2015
US Officials Continue Mediation Efforts
US Assistant Secretary for Energy Diplomacy Amos Hochstein visits Lebanon to continue talks on maritime boundary dispute with Israel – no progress was reported.
October 2020
Lebanon announces its intentions to start negotiating on the maritime border issue with Israel

On October 1st, 2020 Master of the parliament Nabih Berri announced Lebanon intention to start negotiating on the maritime border issue with Israel

 

October 2020
Lebanon holds its first virtual meeting to negotiate on the maritime border issue with Israel

On October 14th, 2020 Lebanon had its first round of indirect negotiations over disputed maritime borders with Israel. The one-hour session was hosted in a United Nations base in Naqoura, near the Israeli border, and was mediated by the US, with the presence of both national delegations and the UN Special Coordinator for Lebanon, Jan Kubis.

For more information, click on Link1 and Link 2

BASICS about Oil and Gas in Lebanon