Israel open to US-mediated talks with Lebanon on sea border

Israelvoicedopenness on Monday toUS-mediatedtalkswithLebanonon resolving a dispute over the neighbours' maritimeborderthat has dogged Mediterranean oil and gas exploration.

Suchtalks,Israeli Energy Minister Yuval Steinitz's office said in a statement after he metUSenvoy David Satterfield, could be "for the good of both countries' interests in developing natural gas reserves and oil" by agreeing on aborder.

There was no immediate comment from Lebanese orUSofficials.

Technically at war sinceIsrael's founding in 1948,IsraelandLebanonhave long disagreed onborderdemarcations, a dispute affecting aseaarea of about 860 sq km (330 square miles) extending along the edge of three ofLebanon's southern energy blocks.

Waters in one of those blocks are also claimed byIsrael, which kicked off a gas bonanza in the eastern Mediterranean almost a decade ago with the discovery of two huge gas fields.

The dispute has led to years of brinkmanship with both sides promising to protect their resources and warning about encroachment.