US, Mexico, Cuba to sign GoM "Doughnut Hole" Deal

The United States, Mexico and Cuba are ready to sign an agreement determining the territorial water limits in the Eastern Gap of the Gulf of Mexico, three diplomatic officials familiar with the matter said on Tuesday.

The talks on the agreement concluded at the end of 2016 after trilateral discussions began mid-last year, and the plan is to sign the accord before U.S. President-elect Donald Trump takes office on Jan. 20, the three officials said.

One of the three, who were speaking on condition of anonymity, said the deal could be signed on Wednesday.

Believed to be rich in oil and gas deposits, the Eastern Gap is known as a Doughnut Hole, where jurisdictions overlap.

Reporting by Patricia Zengerle