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Lebanese government delegation has visited Syria at the highest level for many years | Middle East News

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The two sides are expected to discuss plans to alleviate the power crisis in Lebanon by transmitting electricity through the Syrian power grid.

A delegation from the Lebanese caretaker government will visit Syria on Saturday, the highest-level visit in many years to pave the way for a US-backed plan to alleviate the power crisis in Lebanon.

Since the outbreak of the Syrian War in 2011, Lebanese government officials have mostly avoided Syria because Beirut has adopted a policy of staying away from regional conflicts, even though heavily armed Shiite Hezbollah is fighting to support Syrian President Bashar al-Assad’s army .

The upcoming visit comes after the Lebanese President stated last month that the United States has agreed to help Lebanon obtain electricity and natural gas from Jordan and Egypt through Syrian territory.

Lebanon is suffering from energy shortages, even forcing basic service institutions, including hospitals, to close or scale down operations. This crisis is the result of the wider financial crisis that has destroyed the economy since 2019.

The Lebanese delegation discussing the plan will be led by Deputy Prime Minister and Minister of Defense Zana Akar.

The Syrian Ministry of Information said in an invitation to reporters that it will also include Finance Minister Gazi Vazni, Energy Minister Raymond Ghajar and Director of the General Security Administration Abbas Ibrahim.

Syrian Foreign Minister Faisal Mekdad will meet Lebanese officials at the border.

In recent years, Lebanese security officials and politicians have visited Syria many times, but they are almost exclusively political parties supporting the Assad government in their personal capacity or on behalf of.

The economic and financial crisis in Lebanon has plunged more than half of the population into poverty.

The coronavirus pandemic and the massive explosion in Beirut’s port last year killed more than 200 people and destroyed most of the Lebanese capital, further complicating the grim situation.

The results include severe power outages and severe shortages of gasoline and diesel, all blamed on smuggling, hoarding, and cash shortages, the government’s inability to ensure the delivery of petroleum products.

After the Central Bank’s decision to end subsidies for fuel products, the fuel crisis has deteriorated sharply in recent weeks-a decision that may cause the prices of almost all commodities in Lebanon, which is already in the throes of poverty and hyperinflation.

The US sanctions on Damascus are a complicating factor in any effort to help Lebanon through Syria, and the US senator who visited Lebanon this week discussed the issue.

US Senator Chris Van Hollen told Reuters that although Washington implemented the Caesars Act last year, which can freeze the assets of anyone dealing with Syria, regardless of their nationality, they are still considering ways to solve this complex problem.

The sanctions are designed to force Assad to stop the war and agree to a political settlement.

The US ambassador to Lebanon, Dorothy Shea, expressed willingness to implement the plan.



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