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WORLD NEWS Friday 2 OctOber 2020
Lebanon, Israel announce U.S.-mediated talks over sea border

By BASSEM MROUE and a push in March last year
JOSEF FEDERMAN during a visit to Beirut by
Associated Press Pompeo during which he
BEIRUT (AP) — Lebanon discussed the dispute with
and Israel have reached Lebanese officials.
an agreement on a frame- Lebanon's President Mi-
work of indirect, U.S.-me- chel Aoun welcomed
diated talks over a long- the agreement saying he
standing disputed maritime hopes "that the American
border between the two side will continue its role as
countries, the parties an- a fair mediator." Aoun said
nounced Thursday. he will be closely supervis-
The talks will be held at the ing the talks starting with
headquarters of the U.N. the formation of the team
peacekeeping force in the and throughout the nego-
southern Lebanese border tiations.
town of Naqoura under Lebanon and Israel hold
the banner of the United monthly tripartite indirect
Nations. The talks are ex- meetings in Naqoura to dis-
pected to begin on Oct. cuss violations along their
14, according to U.S. Assis- border. The countries also
tant Secretary of State for held indirect negotiations
Near Eastern Affairs David in the 1990s when Arab
Schenker, the top U.S. dip- Israel's offshore Leviathan gas field in the Mediterranean Sea, Tuesday, Sept. 29, 2020. states and Israel were work-
lomat for the Middle East. Associated Press ing on reaching peace
The agreement "will allow gy Minister Yuval Steinitz will within their own exclusive non, known as UNIFIL, wel- agreements. Although the
both countries to begin dis- lead the Israeli delegation. economic zones. comed the agreement Palestinians and Jordan
cussions, which have the "We are hoping to start Indirect talks mean that saying it stands ready "to signed agreements with Is-
potential to yield greater direct negotiations in the Lebanese army negotiators extend to the parties all the rael, Lebanon and Syria did
stability, security, and pros- near future. Our presump- will not be speaking direct- support at its disposal and not.
perity for Lebanese and Is- tive goal is to arrive at a ly to members of the Israeli facilitate efforts towards a The agreement on the
raeli citizens alike," U.S. Sec- peaceful resolution on the delegation but through resolution." framework comes as Leb-
retary of State Mike Pom- matter of the Exclusive Eco- U.N. and U.S. officials. The United States has anon is going through its
peo said in a statement. He nomic Zone bordering be- Schenker said he will lead been mediating between worst economic and finan-
added that the agreement tween Israel and Lebanon the U.S. mediation team for Lebanon and Israel since cial crisis in decades. Beirut
is the result of nearly three in a way that benefits both at least the first round. He 2010 until a breakthrough is hoping that oil and natu-
years of intense diplomatic neighboring nations," Stein- would not specify exactly was reached in July on ral gas discoveries in its ter-
engagement by U.S. offi- itz said in a statement. who would be represent- the framework for the in- ritorial waters will help it pay
cials. Israel and Lebanon have ing the Israelis or the Leba- direct talks, according back its massive debt.
An Israeli official said last no diplomatic relations and nese adding that the talks to Lebanon's Parliament Lebanon began offshore
week that a deal had been are technically in a state are strictly about maritime Speaker Nabih Berri, who drilling earlier this year and
reached, but there was no of war. They each claim issues and delineating a announced the deal Thurs- is expected to start drilling
immediate Lebanese or about 860 square kilome- border. day. for gas in the disputed area
U.S. confirmation at the ters (330 square miles) of The U.N. peacekeeping He said the U.S. media- with Israel before in the
time. The official said Ener- the Mediterranean Sea as force in southern Leba- tion stalled but it received coming months. q

Lebanon asks Interpol to detain 2

Russians over port blast

BEIRUT (AP) — The lead in- ferred the case to the state people, most of them port
vestigator into the August prosecution that asked In- and customs officials, have
blast at Beirut's port that terpol to detain the two been detained since the
killed and wounded many Russian citizens. blast which is considered to
people issued two arrest NNA did not give the be one of the biggest non-
warrants Thursday for the names of the two men but nuclear explosions ever re-
captain and owner of a Boris Prokoshev was the corded.
ship that carried thousands captain who sailed the MV The Rhosus set out from the
of tons of ammonium ni- Rhosus from Turkey to Beirut Georgian Black Sea port
trate to Beirut seven years in 2013. Igor Grechushkin, a of Batumi carrying 2,755.5
ago, the state-run National Russian businessman resid- tons of ammonium nitrate
News Agency said. ing in the Mediterranean destined for an explosives
Nearly 3,000 tons of am- island of Cyprus, bought company in Mozambique.
monium nitrates stored at the cargo ship in 2012 from It made an unscheduled In this Aug. 4, 2020 file photo, smoke rises in the aftermath of a
Beirut's port exploded on Cypriot businessman Ch- detour, stopping in Beirut massive explosion in Beirut, Lebanon.
Aug. 4, killing 193, wound- aralambos Manoli. on Nov. 19, 2013. Associated Press
ing about 6,500 and caus- Grechushkin has been In October 2014, the am-
ing damage worth billions questioned by police on re- monium nitrate was moved The ammonium nitrate re- and sank there in February
of dollars. quest of Interpol's Lebanon into the port's Warehouse mained at the warehouse 2018, according to Leba-
The news agency said office in August. 12, which holds impounded until it exploded while the nese official documents.q
judge Fadi Sawwan re- More than two dozen materials. Rhosus never left the port