Lebanon's Speaker: "Israel" Awarding Halliburton Drilling Contract Against Framework Deal
Lebanon's Parliament Speaker, Nabih Berri, says that the Israeli entity's awarding contracts for offshore drilling in the disputed region is against the "framework agreement" and calls on the Foreign Ministry to plea with the Security Council.
The Speaker of the Lebanese Parliament, Nabih Berri, announced on Saturday that the Israeli entity's awarding of drilling contacts in the contested maritime block is a violation of the framework agreement, clarifying that the occupation's excessive antagonism threatens international peace and security.
Berri also called on the Foreign Ministry to file a complaint with the United Nations Security Council to investigate another Israeli violation of Lebanon's rights.
The Speaker also said that "Israel" awarding the offshore drilling contract to Halliburton sabotages the framework agreement Washington sponsored.
Moreover, he added that giants Total, Novatek, and Eni's stalling for time in commencing drilling operations in Block 9 poses great questions.
الرئيس #نبيه_بري: قيام الكيان الاسرائيلي بإجراء تلزيمات وإبرام لعقود تنقيب في المنطقة المتنازع عليها في البحر يمثل نقضاً لإتفاق الاطار والتمادي في عدوانيته يمثل تهديداً للامن والسلام الدوليين pic.twitter.com/dso5EWt8fG
— حركة أمل (@harakatamal) September 18, 2021
In October 2020, Berri had said that a framework agreement had been achieved that would lay out the roadmap for Lebanon's negotiators in land and maritime border demarcation talks between Lebanon and occupied Palestine.
Lebanon and the Israeli occupation had held 5 rounds of indirect talks, sponsored by the United States and the United Nations in order to demarcate borders.