As the debate over border demarcation in Lebanon reopened widely following the maritime agreement with Israel and ongoing efforts to define both land and sea borders with Syria, Lebanon has reached a final agreement with Cyprus on the maritime boundary. The move comes after the government approved the draft agreement and referred it to the Presidency—seventeen years after the initial agreement was signed in 2007.
The government is now expected to face questions over why the agreement was approved without going through Parliament.
In this context, Cypriot President Nikos Christodoulides will arrive in Lebanon on Wednesday for an official visit at the head of a delegation. He will meet President Joseph Aoun for talks that are expected to lead to the signing of the final agreement between the two countries—an important step that could open the door to gas exploration and the economic benefits it promises.
Sources familiar with the border demarcation file told “Hona Lebanon” that the agreement could pave the way for exploratory operations and encourage investment in the oil and gas sector—an opportunity long awaited by the Lebanese—despite objections and concerns that Lebanon may lose a portion of its economic waters, similar to what happened in the maritime agreement with Israel.
The sources noted that the President of the Republic is expected to sign the agreement, as is customary with international treaties, before sending it to the United Nations without returning to Parliament for debate—a move some political actors have warned against. They also highlighted Turkey’s persistent reservations about maritime demarcation, arguing that Cyprus does not have the right to conclude such an agreement, a stance that could create new obstacles for Lebanon, although diplomacy may still resolve the issue.
For Cyprus, demarcation with Lebanon is seen as essential to advancing its own dispute with Turkey.
Ultimately, the agreement would reaffirm the commitment of Lebanon and Cyprus to respecting each other’s sovereignty and strengthening their privileged bilateral relations across various fields.
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