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3. Lebanon Pushes for Point 7 with Cyprus, Concessions May Benefit Syria

On Tuesday, September 16, Lebanese and Cypriot officials are scheduled to hold a negotiation session to continue discussions on the maritime border demarcation between the two countries. According to available information, Lebanon will seek to extend the maritime boundary line northward to Point 7, a position it submitted to the United Nations in 2007. However, the Cypriots have not accepted this proposal, recognizing only Point 6 to the north, located roughly 10 to 12 kilometers south of Point 7.

Lebanese sources have expressed hope that the Cypriots would respond favorably to Beirut’s request, noting that accepting Point 6 to the north could, in the future, enable Syria to press Lebanon for concessions in the northern maritime boundary. However, even if Lebanon and Cyprus reach an agreement on Point 7, the issue would not be fully resolved, as a three-way understanding—including Syria—would still be required.

The sources indicated that a trilateral agreement between Lebanon, Cyprus and Israel on Point 23 to the south has been reached. They added that, under international law—particularly given the relative lengths of the Lebanese and Cypriot coastlines—Lebanon sees no grounds for altering the median line of its maritime boundary with Cyprus in its favor. Accordingly, claims that Lebanon could push the line westward to gain some 5,000 square kilometers are unfounded.

Lebanese sources view the finalization of the maritime border demarcation with Cyprus as a step that could boost prospects for launching negotiations on Lebanon’s maritime border with Syria, particularly given the growing demand for regional energy resources, from which Europe stands to benefit.