Cyprus and Lebanon will sign an agreement delimiting their maritime borders in the coming weeks, following the Lebanese government’s approval of a deal reached in September after negotiations between the two countries.
The agreement, covering both the Exclusive Economic Zone (EEZ) and continental shelf, was negotiated by teams led by Ambassador Tasos Tzionis, special envoy of the Cypriot president, and Lebanon’s Minister of Transport and Public Works, Fayez Rassamny.
The maritime border delimitation represents a strategic development with significant political and economic benefits for both countries, creating prospects for energy resource exploitation and broader Cyprus-Lebanon cooperation.
The Lebanese Cabinet, in its decision earlier this week, also approved an oil exploration agreement for Block 8 within Lebanon’s EEZ, according to sources familiar with the matter.
This move aims to promote the country’s offshore energy development, facilitated by the border agreement which clarifies jurisdictional boundaries and creates investor confidence.
Cyprus President Nikos Christodoulides and Lebanese President Joseph Aoun are expected to sign the agreement in an official ceremony in the near future, diplomatic sources said.
The signing will end an issue pending since 2007, when a preliminary agreement between Lebanon and Cyprus was reached but never ratified due to Lebanese reservations and Turkish interference with previous governments.
The 2022 Israel-Lebanon EEZ agreement and the 2025 election of President Aoun in Lebanon created the conditions for concluding the current Cyprus-Lebanon delimitation, sources said, describing the development as particularly important for stability and economic development in the region.
The Lebanon agreement adds to those Cyprus has already signed with Egypt and Israel. Cyprus’s status as a European Union member state provides a significant diplomatic advantage, as the Cypriot EEZ borders constitute the easternmost maritime borders of the European Union.
Delimitation of EEZs with Syria and Turkey remains pending. A senior government official told Phileleftheros that the agreement with Lebanon creates the prospect of concluding a similar agreement with Syria, which the Cypriot government will pursue in the coming period.
The Lebanese Cabinet, during its meeting on Thursday under President Joseph Aoun and with the participation of Prime Minister Nawaf Salam, approved the maritime border delimitation between Lebanon and Cyprus, according to a government announcement.
When asked about next steps, given that maritime borders overlap with those of other countries, Lebanese Energy Minister Joe Sadegh said a relevant report had been received and would be discussed by the Information Minister.
“The next step will be to arrange the delimitation of maritime borders with Syria, which must be done,” he added.
Sources from the Cyprus Ministry of Energy, Commerce and Industry described the development as “very positive,” noting that more details will be revealed during the Lebanese Energy Minister’s visit to Cyprus on November 10.
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