Berri Threatens to Debrief Cabinet if Oil Exploration Project Delayed
إقرأ هذا الخبر بالعربيةSpeaker Nabih Berri threatened on Friday to debrief the cabinet if it didn’t carry out its tasks regarding Lebanon’s offshore oil wealth project, As Safir newspaper reported.
“The cabinet should assign the committee tasked with administrating the oil sector and set the tenders to kick off the offshore natural resources exploration,” Berri stressed.
He warned the cabinet that it has until the end of March to wrap up the issue.
“I will call on a session to inquire the government if it failed to meet its promises,” the speaker told the daily.
In January, the cabinet approved the oil and gas decrees after lengthy discussion over who should administer the tender and oil and gas exploration in its offshore territorial borders.
On February 16, Israeli Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu held talks in Nicosia with Cypriot leaders on energy cooperation and economic ties.
Israel, Cyprus, and Lebanon have discovered huge offshore natural gas deposits beneath the Mediterranean Sea.
However, the Israeli map conflicts with Lebanon's proposed maritime border. Beirut argues its map is in line with an armistice accord drawn up in 1949, an agreement which is not contested by Israel.
The disputed zone consists of about 854 square kilometers and suspected energy reserves there could generate billions of dollars.
Lebanon has been slow to exploit its maritime resources compared with other eastern Mediterranean countries. Israel, Cyprus and Turkey are all much more advanced in drilling for oil and gas.
Lebanon seems to have a problem in every issue. Let the Israelis administer the tender. Or call somebody in the yellow pages. What a joke? They are prepared for absolutely nothing.
Bloody lebanese politics,Lebanese Government can't even decide against corruption from within,,dig a big hole and put all LEBANESE LEADERS in it then cover them all using lebanese rubbish and untreated sewage
some prefer lebanon to be crippeled by debts so it wont be financialy independant and they are the same countries that want to control lebanese will
oh god.. we never take responsibility for our own actions.. we had a devastating civil war that destroyed most the nations infrastructure, it cost money to rebuild and sadly some politicians have had their hamds in the treasury money box, but the 50 billions dollars is a reasonable amount that is need to rebuild the nation, unfirtunateky we go through this rebuilding phase every ten years be it with israel or sectarian flare ups... come on people stop accusing the whole world for our mess..its all US.(lebanese) supporting or being paid by foreigners to implement their ideals on us. when u are paid by the mob u have to repay the debt even if it destroys our country and kills 1000`s of people.. its no longer about israel or the western influence, its all about money ... if they really do believe in their religion they should stick to god and preaching in mosques or churchs or religious temples..
Excuse my ignorance, but what can berri (the parliment speaker) achieve with this debrief?
i wonder if they will have an independent tendering process which is at arms length from all politians and their 3rd party interests. we need all the funds to pay national debt and reinvest in lebanon, not scimmed from by these scum bags for their new cars.