Assad Advises Bassil to Allow Russia to Drill for Offshore Oil and Gas
Syrian President Bashar Assad requested from Energy Minister Jebran Bassil to allow Russian companies to handle drilling for oil and gas discovered in the Mediterranean Sea adjacent to Lebanon’s coast, reported the daily An Nahar on Sunday.
It said that Assad made his request when he held talks with the Lebanese minister in Damascus on Monday.
Observers monitoring the issue interpreted the Syrian president’s demand as a message to Moscow that it is exerting all possible pressure in order for licenses for oil exploration be granted to Russian companies.
It was also reported that the talks between Assad and Bassil tackled the case of retired General Fayez Karam, who was arrested in 2010 on suspicion of collaborating with Israel.
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