Parliament Speaker Nabih Berri said that Lebanon will not allow Israel to encroach on its maritime borders, during a Sunday night meeting with Iraqi Prime Minister Adel Abdel Mahdi in Baghdad. Berri said he had told United States Secretary of State Mike Pompeo during his two-day visit to Beirut last month that Israel has “greed for our water but we will not give up one cup of it,” according to a statement released Monday by his office.
Berri has on several occasions warned against Israeli encroachment on potential oil and gas reserves in waters disputed by Israel and Lebanon.
Lebanon is hoping to begin its first exploratory drilling in one of two maritime areas later this year - one of which lies partially in the disputed territory.
The speaker said a united Lebanon was the best defense against Israeli aggression. “When this small Lebanon united, it was able to win against Israel - not once, but many times,” he said.
“And today - thank God - we have a deterring force in the face of the Israeli enemy that can stand up to it and achieve more victories,” Berri added.
The speaker had arrived in Iraq Sunday afternoon for the official visit, which he expressed hope would strengthen ties between Beirut and Baghdad.
The Iraqi premier told Berri during their meeting that “Lebanon can offer so much for Iraq, and Iraq can offer a lot for [Lebanon] too,” according to the statement.
The speaker also addressed the “dangerous” economic situation, stressing that it was the greatest crisis currently facing the country.
“We need to work hard to reduce the deficit, or Lebanon will see negative consequences,” Berri warned.
Berri has repeatedly denounced the ongoing delay to pass the 2019 state budget, and has stressed that it must lower the deficit-to-GDP ratio by at least 1 percentage point a year - a goal the new Cabinet committed to in its policy statement.
Berri resumed his meetings Monday, traveling from Baghdad to Najaf to meet Iraq’s top Shiite leader, Grand Ayatollah Ali al-Sistani, and discuss recent Lebanese, Iraqi and Arab affairs.
“I congratulated his eminence on defeating terrorism. ... His eminence is still fighting to unite Iraq, build it and fight corruption,” Berri told reporters after the meeting, according to a statement from his office.
This article has been adapted from its original source.
