Italy has welcomed a "significant" accord demarcating a disputed maritime border between Israel and Lebanon that paves the way for offshore energy exploration and an easing of bilateral tensions.
"The agreement on the maritime border between Israel and Lebanon will help improve relations between the two countries, with significant effects in terms of regional stability and prosperity," said a foreign ministry statement.
"Italy applauds the efforts by the interested parties and the US mediation and hopes that the newly announced agreement will be finalised as soon as possible," the statement added.
The US-mediated accord aims to resolve a territorial dispute in an area of the eastern Mediterranean, where Lebanon aims to explore for natural gas. Israel is already producing natural gas at fields nearby.
Israeli gas production is up by 22% so far this year as a result of Europe severely reducing its dependence on Russian oil and gas amid the war in Ukraine and soaring energy prices. Monday's agreement is expected to enable Israeli production of natural gas from the Karish maritime reservoir - a welcome development for Israel’s western allies.
A gas find in the area for Lebanon and could help the crisis-mired country remedy its longstanding inability to generate enough electricity for its population.
