Lebanon’s cabinet has approved a maritime border demarcation agreement with Cyprus, reviving a crucial deal that has been pending since 2007. The move, announced yesterday after a session at the Presidential Palace, marks a significant step towards clarifying Lebanon’s economic waters and could unlock vast energy exploration opportunities in the Eastern Mediterranean.
The agreement, chaired by President Joseph Aoun and attended by Prime Minister Nawaf Salam, now awaits ratification by the Lebanese Parliament to become law. In a related decision signalling the government's intent to press forward with energy development, the cabinet also agreed to retender oil and gas exploration rights in the strategic maritime Block 8.
The breakthrough could herald key developments in regional energy cooperation. "As Lebanon faces its own economic challenges, establishing maritime borders may strengthen its negotiating position in potential resource extraction," stated a post by the monitoring group Observe Lebanon, highlighting the deal's economic importance for the crisis-hit nation.
The original 2007 agreement defined the maritime exclusive economic zone between the two nations with a “median line” marked by six boundary points. However, uncertainties surrounding the northernmost and southernmost points, near Lebanon's borders with Syria and Israel respectively, placed the deal on hold for nearly two decades.
Progress was enabled by the successful US-brokered maritime border agreement Lebanon signed with Israel in October 2022. That historic accord resolved a long-running dispute over the Karish and Qana gas fields, setting a precedent for resolving complex regional demarcation issues.
Despite the progress with Cyprus, a final settlement remains contingent on an agreement with Syria. The northern boundary, near Point 7 of the Cyprus deal, involves a tripoint where Lebanese, Cypriot, and Syrian waters converge. Maritime data indicates that Syrian offshore exploration blocks currently overlap with approximately 652 square kilometres of Lebanon’s northern waters, creating a significant point of contention.
Recognizing the complexities, Lebanon’s Works Committee has recommended consulting foreign legal and natural resources experts to clarify technical issues. The government has stressed the need for a careful review before any final signing with Cyprus, acknowledging the issue’s "clear sovereignty dimensions" and its potential impact on future negotiations with Damascus.
The stakes are high. The Levant Basin is estimated to hold about 1.7 billion barrels of recoverable oil and 122 trillion cubic feet of natural gas. For Lebanon, which imports over 90% of its petroleum, tapping into these domestic resources is a national priority. Finalising its maritime borders is the essential first step toward transforming its economic fortunes and achieving energy independence.
Photo: Gemini AI