In the “Depth of the Event” episode, Ambassador Dr. Bassam Al-Nomani presents an in-depth analysis of border and sovereignty issues, based on his extensive diplomatic experience. He worked in the Permanent Mission of Lebanon to the League of Arab States, and in the Lebanese embassies in Washington and London between 1983 and 1999, and served as Lebanon’s ambassador to Pakistan, Saudi Arabia, Kuwait, and Tunisia. He also served as acting Secretary-General of the Ministry of Foreign Affairs and Expatriates in 2007, and headed the Lebanese side in the Syrian-Lebanese joint committee for demarcating the borders, and dealt with the Shebaa Farms file in the Ministry of Foreign Affairs between 2003 and 2007. In addition, he wrote a book on maps and the Sykes-Picot Agreement, and has numerous articles specialized in border demarcation issues.
During the episode, Ambassador Al-Nomani stresses that the year 2006 was a valuable opportunity to restore the Shebaa Farms, but Lebanon did not exploit it optimally. He criticizes the role played by the “Lebanese deep state” in managing the sovereign files, and provides a detailed explanation supported by maps of the legal and historical facts related to the Shebaa Farms, revealing for the first time hidden details about dealing with this file. He also touches on the Lebanon-Cyprus Agreement, explaining how it may harm some of Lebanon’s maritime rights. At the conclusion of the episode, he proposes a vision and a practical solution to the dispute over the demarcation of maritime and land borders, calling for a more transparent approach to protecting Lebanese rights.
