Lebanon Seeks Clarifications on Israel Granting Halliburton Offshore Oil Exploration Contract

Lebanese Prime Minister Najib Mikati has requested the foreign minister to obtain clarifications from the international community after Israel awarded the American company Halliburton, a major oilfield services provider, a contract for exploration in the Mediterranean Sea. Lebanon and Israel are at odds over the demarcation of their maritime boundaries in the Mediterranean, and negotiations could open the door for Lebanon to access vast gas reserves amid the worst financial crisis it has ever faced. The two countries have been engaged in sporadic U.S.-mediated talks since October to resolve this issue. Mikati stated in a release from his office, "There will be no leniency on this matter and no concessions on Lebanese rights, and the United Nations must fulfill its role in deterring Israel and forcing it to stop its repeated violations of Lebanese rights and Lebanon's sovereignty." The Lebanese Ministry of Foreign Affairs stated that Minister of Foreign Affairs and Emigrants Abdullah Bou Habib has contacted Lebanon's permanent representative to the United Nations, the U.S. embassy, and other countries supporting the maritime talks to ensure that Halliburton's contract "does not fall in a disputed area between Lebanon and Israel, in order to avoid any infringement on Lebanon's rights and to prevent any future exploration activities in the disputed areas."