Beirut, August 12 (Prensa Latina) The incumbent government of Lebanon today thanked the Iraqi authorities for extending the country’s supply of fuel for the needs of the National Electric Company by a year.
According to the media office of Prime Minister-designate Najib Miqati, Lebanon positively assessed the support given to Iraq in overcoming the difficult circumstances resulting from the worst economic and financial crisis of its modern times.
Miqati personally expressed his gratitude to his Iraqi counterpart, Mustafa al-Kazemi, while emphasizing the willingness to strengthen ties and cooperation between the two countries in a spirit of brotherhood.
Earlier last month, during his visit to Baghdad, Lebanon’s interim Minister of Energy and Water Walid Fayyad exchanged views with the top authorities of the oil, finance and Bank of Iraq on behalf of consolidating the fuel supply agreement.
On that occasion, Iraqi chief financial officer Abdel Amir Allawi expressed to the Lebanese minister his willingness to consider the possibility of extending and further developing the fuel emergency financing memorandum under affordable terms of facilitation and trade exchanges.
According to analysts, the energy sector is one of the hardest hit by Lebanon’s economic and financial meltdown, with barely two hours of daily supply from the state-owned company.
An agreement signed on June 21 between Lebanon and Egypt will facilitate gas imports through Syria to improve energy supplies and improve living conditions in the country.
Local media noted that gas from Egypt, along with a separate deal to import electricity from Jordan, could increase Lebanon’s supply to around 10 hours a day from the current two.
Figures from specialized United Nations agencies indicated that the energy crisis is currently threatening the sustainability of basic water and health services across the national territory, endangering the lives of thousands of families in Lebanon.
rgh/yma