ByJERUSALEM POST STAFF

Representatives from European countries visited Israel's northern maritime border with Lebanon, as well as the Leviathan natural gas platform on Friday, a press release from the non-profit NGO ELNET announced on Friday.

The purpose of the tour, which included 13 ambassadors from prominent European countries such as Spain, the Netherlands, Poland, Ireland and Finland, was aimed at briefing officials on the current status of Israel-Lebanon negotiations over the border, in addition to a discussion on the opportunities and security threats involved in investing in the eastern Mediterranean natural gas reservoirs.

The tour was carried out by ELNET, a non-profit NGO, in cooperation with Israel's Foreign Ministry and the IDF, which allowed the European diplomats to see the complexity of the issues involved in the ongoing maritime border negations. Beyond learning of the border dispute, the representatives discussed business opportunities in relations to gas pipelines. 

The group later boarded Navy vessels to observe the area, and held discussions with Israeli representatives from the Energy and Infrastructure Ministry.

Shai Bazak, ELNET-Israel CEO, spoke of the importance of the visit in a statement, saying "The strategic tour well reflects the strengthening relations between Europe and Israel. With the ongoing negotiations on Israel's maritime border with Lebanon, it is imperative that Europe acknowledges the economic opportunities at hand in the region."