BEIRUT, July 4 (Xinhua) -- Lebanese Prime Minister-designate Najib Mikati said on Monday he opposes taking unofficial actions to deal with the maritime border demarcation issue with Israel.
"Lebanon considers that any action outside the diplomatic context pursued by the government to settle maritime border demarcation with Israel is unacceptable and exposes the country to unnecessary risks," a statement issued by Lebanon's Council of Ministers quoted Mikati as saying during a meeting with Foreign Minister Abdallah Bou Habib.
Mikati made the remarks after Hezbollah launched three unarmed drones on Saturday on a reconnaissance mission toward the Karish gas field in the eastern Mediterranean, which Israel claims is within its economic zone while Lebanon claims it is located in disputed waters.
Hezbollah said it sent the drones to convey a message that the Shiite group has the "military and logistical capacity" to prevent Israel from extracting gas from the Karish gas field.
Mikati called on all parties to "show a spirit of great national responsibility and abide by the state's negotiation procedure."
He also reaffirmed Lebanon's support for U.S. Energy Envoy Amos Hochstein's efforts to reach a solution on maritime border demarcation with Israel that protects his nation's full rights.
Lebanon and Israel are embroiled in a maritime border dispute that has lately intensified after Israel sent a vessel operated by Energean, a London-based oil and gas production company, to the Karish field on June 5.
Lebanese authorities are currently seeking to revive indirect talks with Israel on maritime border demarcation, which were halted after Lebanon expanded its claim in territorial waters to include at least a part of the Karish oil field.
