Arab energy ministers draw up roadmap to transport gas from Egypt to Lebanon

Amman, Sep 8 (EFE).- Four Arab energy ministers on Wednesday agreed on a “roadmap” to transport Egyptian gas to Lebanon through Jordan and Syria as Beirut experiences one of its worst crises in history.

“The meeting discussed a roadmap for re-pumping Egyptian gas to Lebanon after a 10-year suspension,” Jordanian Energy Minister Hala Zawati said at a joint press conference along with her Egyptian, Syrian and Lebanese counterparts.

“In the coming three weeks, we will be ready, after checking the gas pipe infrastructure and revising the agreements,” she added. Every country “will bear the costs of repairs within its territory.”

Syrian oil minister Bassam Tuma said during the presser that both gas pipe and electricity infrastructure have sustained “damage” over the past 10 years due to “terrorist actions.”

“We have directives from President Bashar al Assad to help Lebanon in transporting Egyptian gas,” he said.

It is unusual for a senior Syrian official to take part in a regional meeting after Damascus was expelled from the Arab League in 2011, when the Syrian war broke out.

Lebanon’s Energy Minister Raymond Ghajar said that his country was “working with the World Bank to secure financing for the import of Egyptian gas (…) so that Lebanon will be able to sign an agreement with Egypt.”

The cooperation between the four countries would help Lebanon import electricity from Jordan “the price of which will be lower than the cost of producing it in Lebanon,” he added.

The Egyptian minister, Tareq al Mullah, said that there were “directives from President Abdel Fattah al Sisi to provide Lebanon with Egyptian natural gas to help the county overcome its current crisis”.

Syria on Saturday accepted a Lebanese request to allow the passage of Egypt gas and Jordan electricity through its territory despite the US sanctions imposed on Damascus.