BEIRUT, May 9 (Xinhua) -- Lebanese President Michel Aoun submitted on Thursday a new framework to U.S. Ambassador to Lebanon Elizabeth Richard on drawing the maritime borders with Israel, Lebanon's Presidency website reported.
On the same day, Richard met with Lebanese Speaker Nabih Berri, who promised that Lebanon will be always committed to a unified decision with regard to the maritime borders with Israel, National News Agency (NNA) reported.
Berri previously announced that Lebanon is ready to draw its maritime borders under the supervision of the United Nations.
"We are ready to draw Lebanon's maritime borders and the Exclusive Economic Zone using the same procedure that was used to draw the Blue Line under the supervision of the United Nations," Berri was quoted as saying during the meeting with the UN Interim Forces in Lebanon (UNIFIL) chief Stefano Del Col.
Lebanon has an unresolved maritime border with Israel that involves a triangular sea area of about 860 square km extending along the edge of three of its 10 offshore energy blocks.
The United States mediated between Lebanon and Israel to end the dispute but failed to reach any positive results.
In February 2018, Lebanon signed its first exploration and production agreements for offshore Blocks 4 and 9 with a consortium of France's Total, Italy's Eni and Russia's Novatek.
Block 9 contains an area of waters claimed by both Israel and Lebanon, but the consortium said it would not drill the block's first well near the disputed zone.
