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The plan involves the use of Egyptian natural gas to generate electricity in Jordan and then transport it to Lebanon via Syria.
Syria said on Saturday that after Lebanese ministers have visited Damascus at the highest level in years, it welcomes Lebanon’s request to import Egyptian gas for energy production through its 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 delegation was led by Zeina Akkar, who held multiple positions in the Lebanese caretaker government, including the Minister of Foreign Affairs, to pave the way for a US-backed plan to transmit electricity through the Syrian grid to alleviate Lebanon’s power shortage.
Nasri Curry, secretary-general of the Lebanese-Syrian High Commission, said in a brief statement after the meeting: “The Syrian side welcomes this request and promises that it is ready to meet it.”
The plan involves the use of Egyptian natural gas to generate electricity in Jordan and then transport it to Lebanon via Syria.
US sanctions on Damascus are a complicating factor in any effort to help Lebanon through Syria, but members of Congress who visited Beirut this week said Washington is looking for an urgent way to deal with these obstacles.
The US ambassador to Lebanon, Dorothy Shea, also expressed willingness to implement the plan.
On Saturday, the Syrian Foreign Minister Faisal Mekdad received a Lebanese delegation at the border, which also included the Minister of Energy and Finance.
Since the beginning of the Syrian War in 2011, Lebanese government officials have mostly avoided Syria because Beirut has adopted a policy of staying out of regional conflicts, even though Shia Hezbollah is fighting to support Damascus.
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