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WORLD NEWS Monday 3 october 2022

Israeli leader welcomes U.S. plan for sea border with Lebanon

By JOSEF FEDERMAN He said the deal was being
Associated Press reviewed by legal and de-
JERUSALEM (AP) — Israel's fense officials before it is to
prime minister on Sunday be voted upon by the gov-
welcomed a U.S. proposal ernment. Israeli media said
for setting the maritime bor- a vote could take place
der with Lebanon, saying Thursday. On Saturday, the
the American plan for re- proposal was also deliv-
solving a long-running dis- ered to Lebanese leaders.
pute between the neigh- Israeli opposition leader
boring countries would lift Benjamin Netanyahu, un-
Israel's economy and boost der whom the negotiations
regional security. began in 2020 and who is
Prime Minister Yair Lapid hoping to return to power
said the proposal was de- in November elections, said
livered over the weekend he opposed the emerg- In this photo released by Lebanon's official government
to both Israel and Leba- ing deal and wouldn't be photographer Dalati Nohra, Lebanese president Michel Aoun,
non. While he said it was bound by it if reelected. La- left, meets with U.S. Ambassador to Lebanon Dorothy Shea,
still being studied, he said pid, the country's caretaker at the Presidential Palace in Baabda, east of Beirut, Lebanon,
Saturday, Oct. 1, 2022.
the plan would strengthen premier, is hoping to fend Associated Press
Israel's northern areas near off Netanyahu in the polls.
the Lebanese border, allow "Lapid has no mandate to leaders. gives Lebanon the right to
Israel to produce addition- give sovereign territory and Lebanon's parliament the Qana field, located
al natural gas and deliver sovereign assets that be- speaker, Nabi Berri, said in partially in Israel's domain.
new revenues to the na- long to all of us to an ene- an interview with the Lon- A part of it stretches deep
tional coffers. my state," Netanyahu said. don-based Asharq Al-Aw- into a disputed area. The
"This is a deal that strength- Lebanon and Israel have sat newspaper Saturday official added that the
ens Israel's security and Is- been officially at war since the proposal "in principle main point now is how to
rael's economy," Lapid told Israel's creation in 1948 and meets the Lebanese de- draw the demarcation
his Cabinet. both countries claim some mands." line in a way that stretch-
He also said Israel would 860 square kilometers (330 Lebanon hopes to unleash es south of Qana. Lapid's
not oppose the develop- square miles) of the Medi- offshore oil and gas pro- comments appeared to be
ment of "an additional Leb- terranean Sea. duction as it grapples with a reference to the emerg-
anese gas field" straddling Amos Hochstein, a senior the worst economic crisis in ing agreement over Qana.
the maritime border, as adviser for energy security its modern history, plunging Israel set up a gas rig at
long as Israel receives "the at the U.S. State Depart- three-quarters of its popu- its designated location at
share we deserve." He said ment who has been me- lation into poverty. the Karish field. Israel says
this would weaken Leba- diating between the two A Lebanese official who at- the field is part of its U.N.-
non's dependence on Iran, neighbors, last visited Beirut tended the talks last month recognized exclusive eco-
restrain the Hezbollah mili- in September, where he told The Associated Press nomic zone, while Lebanon
tant group and promote expressed optimism after that the proposal put for- insists Karish is in a disputed
regional stability. meeting with Lebanon's ward by the U.S. envoy area.q

9 NATO members urge support for Ukraine after annexation

rity alliance, and calling on negro, Poland, Romania
all 30 NATO nations to ramp and Slovakia published a
up military aid for Kyiv. statement on their websites
Ukrainian President Volody- Sunday saying: "We sup-
myr Zelenskyy made a sur- port Ukraine in its defense
prise move Friday to apply against Russia's invasion,
for fast-track NATO mem- demand (that Russia) im-
bership, in response to Rus- mediately withdraw from
sia's annexation of four re- all the occupied territories
gions of Ukraine. and encourage all allies to
NATO membership needs substantially increase their
approval from all 30 mem- military aid to Ukraine."
bers and Ukraine is unlikely It said the leaders "firmly
to join anytime soon. Being stood behind the 2008 Bu-
a country already at war charest NATO Summit deci-
In this photo provided by the Ukrainian Presidential Press Office, complicates the request. sion concerning Ukraine's
Ukrainian President Volodymyr Zelenskyy, center, alongside The nine NATO countries in future membership." At the
Prime Minister Denys Shmyhal, right, and the head of Verkhovna Central and Eastern Europe 2008 summit, NATO mem-
Rada (Supreme Council of Ukraine) Ruslan Stefanchuk, holds fearful that Russia could bers welcomed Ukraine
an application for ''accelerated accession to NATO'' in Kyiv,
Ukraine, Friday Sept. 30, 2022. target them next if it isn't and Georgia's aspirations
Associated Press stopped in Ukraine urged to join, but declined to pro-
a response to the annexa- vide a clear timeline for
tion. the two countries' possible
PRAGUE (AP) — The heads a joint statement backing The leaders of Czechia, ascension. Sunday's letter
of nine European NATO a path to membership for Estonia, Latvia, Lithuania, didn't mention a timeline,
members on Sunday issued Ukraine in the U.S.-led secu- North Macedonia, Monte- either.q