Russian mediation by personal intervention by Putin to resolve the demarcation of the maritime border issue between Lebanon and Syria

The US Monitor took Russia’s mediation into the demarcation of the Lebanese-Syrian border, describing it as “logical”.

“Russia can play the role of mediator in the demarcation of the Syrian-Lebanese maritime border, if necessary”, the website said, quoting Russian President Vladimir Putin’s envoy to Syria, Alexander Lavrentiev.

“The US is now working with US mediation to demarcate the maritime part of the border Between Lebanon and Israel.

“If we need our support or some kind of assistance, we support that, because moving forward and reaching concrete agreements on such important issues really contribute to greater strengthening not only of confidence but of real stability in the region”, he stressed.

“Any possible assistance to Lebanon would also serve Syria’s interests”.

Syria has responded to Russia’s request to step up its contacts with the Lebanese authorities to demarcate the maritime zone.

It sent a written letter to Beirut containing a formal request for demarcation of the northern border area and the demarcation of Block 1 and 2, the website said.

In the report of Al Monitor website, there is a confirming, that Moscow’s moves stem from the interests of Russian companies in energy reserves in the Middle East, saying that the demarcation process will be generously funded.

With regard to Syria, the site pointed out that Moscow, which signed with Damascus an agreement to explore for gas and oil along the Syrian coast in 2013, is still interested in work in Syria, after suspended work in 2015 because of the war.

As for Lebanon, the website saw it as important to Russia as part of Moscow’s efforts to strengthen the stability of Syrian administrative institutions.

In the same context, the site talked about the readiness of the consortium of companies composed of “Novatek” Russian and “Eni” Italian and the French company “Total” to carry out exploration in Block No. 4 in January next.

Lebanese president Michel Aoun said before his meeting with his Russian counterpart Vladimir Putin that he saw no obstacle preventing Russia mediating the demarcation of the maritime border with Israel.

In this context, the site quoted experts as saying that two main reasons behind the participation of “Novatek” in Lebanon:

– The need to cooperate with Total, its principal partner in the Yamal LNG project (the largest natural gas project in the Arctic).

– Meet the demand of the Russian government, which actively supports the company and is working to transform its growing military and political influence in the region into very effective economic projects, under European and American sanctions. Novatek is subject to US sanctions.

Lebanon’s signing of a contract with Rosneft to develop oil storage facilities in Tripoli is likely to be a sign of a new phase in Syria’s political and economic influence.

Russia’s intensive diplomatic efforts demonstrate that it believes in the possibility of “resolving the territorial border dispute between Lebanon and Syria”.