U.S. Secretary of State Marco Rubio, who is on a tour of Gulf countries, spoke today about progress in the talks between Lebanon and Israel.

“I believe we are very close to securing a declaration of intent from both countries,” he told reporters in Bahrain.

Israel and Lebanon participated this week in Washington in a fifth round of talks aimed at reaching a peace agreement. “It’s a process; it will take time, it will take a lot of work, but I can tell you that for the first time in 30 years, the Lebanese government is speaking directly with the Israeli government,” Rubio said.

Under U.S. auspices, Lebanese and Israeli officials began talks in April—for the first time in decades. The U.S. and Lebanese President Joseph Aoun say these negotiations are separate from those between Washington and Tehran, although Iran links the two conflicts.

This week’s talks conclude today and were dedicated to the creation of “pilot zones” to be controlled by the Lebanese army.