Lebanon says EastMed gas pipeline from Israel to EU must not violate maritime borders

Lebanon has warned its Mediterranean neighbors that the planned EastMed gas pipeline from Israel to the EU must not be allowed to violate its maritime borders. Beirut has an unresolved maritime border dispute with Israel over a sea area of about 860 sq km (330 square miles) extending along the edge of three of Lebanon’s southern energy blocks. Israel is hoping to enlist several European countries in the construction of a 2,000km (1,243 mile) pipeline linking vast eastern Mediterranean gas resources to Europe through Cyprus, Greece, and Italy at a cost of US$7 billion, Reuters said. Lebanon’s foreign minister, Gebran Bassil, said he had written to UN Secretary General Antonio Guterres, EU foreign policy head Federica Mogherini and the foreign ministers of Cyprus, Greece and Italy to request that the pipeline will not infringe on Lebanon’s rights within what it claims as its exclusive economic zone.