BEIRUT (MEMO) – Deputy Chairman of the Executive Council of Hezbollah resistance movement Sheikh Ali Damoush called on Lebanon not to accept the agreement for a maritime dispute with the Zionist regime that do not guarantee full Lebanese sovereignty, Al-Quds Al-Arabi reported.
Damoush announced in a statement: “We reject all forms of normalization of ties with the enemy. It is not acceptable that the Lebanese accept any proposal, under American pressure, for the maritime dispute that does not respect Lebanese fuel and gas rights.”
He accused the U.S. administration of being the “biggest cheater, terror sponsor and supporter of corrupt and dictatorships around the globe.”
According to Damoush, the U.S. “interferes in the internal affairs of the countries and practices extortion on the different states in order to impose its own conditions.”
Damoush indicated that the U.S. administration is trying to impose its conditions through its envoy, who mediates the talks between Lebanon and the Zionist regime to resolve the maritime dispute.
He accused the U.S. administration of ignoring democratic values to achieve its own interests.
These remarks came following a proposal put down by U.S. Senior Advisor for Global Energy Security Amos Hochstein.
Lebanon and the occupying regime have so far held five rounds of indirect negotiations on the issue.
Lebanese politicians hope that commercially viable hydrocarbon resources off Lebanon’s coast could help lift the debt-ridden country out of its worst economic crisis in decades.
In February 2018, Lebanon signed its first contract for drilling in two blocks in the Mediterranean with a consortium comprising energy giants Total, Eni and Novatek.
Lebanon and the occupying regime took part in indirect talks to discuss demarcation in 2020. But they stalled after Lebanon demanded a larger area, including part of the Karish gas field, where the occupying regime has given exploration rights to a Greek firm.
The talks were supposed to discuss a Lebanese demand for 860sq km (330 square miles) of territory in the disputed maritime area, according to a map sent to the United Nations in 2011.
However, Lebanon then said the map was based on erroneous calculations and demanded 1,430sq km (552 square miles) more further south, including part of Karish.