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A delegation from Lebanon arrived in Syria to discuss the transfer of fuel
After a decade of tension between the two neighbors, a delegation led by the Minister of Defense and Foreign Affairs met with senior officials in Damascus to discuss the transfer of Egyptian gas and Jordanian electricity through Syrian territory.
This coincides with the expected shipment to arrive in Lebanon from Iran, despite US sanctions
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Saturday, 04 September 2021, 22:40 Updated: 22:46
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A high-level delegation from Lebanon today (Saturday) asked Syria to allow the passage of natural gas from Egypt and electricity from Jordan, in order to alleviate the fuel crisis that paralyzes Lebanon. The request was made during an official visit by the delegation to Damascus, which marked the end of more than a decade of cool relations between the neighbors following the outbreak of the Syrian civil war in 2011. Lebanon is experiencing an acute economic crisis, described as the worst the world has known since the mid-19th century.
The Lebanese delegation was headed by Defense Minister and Acting Foreign Minister Zina Akar, who asked Syria to renew a 2009 agreement that allowed natural gas from Egypt to reach Jordan through a Syrian pipeline to a power plant in northern Lebanon. The delegation from Lebanon was received at the border by Syrian Foreign Minister Faisal Makedad, and from there they traveled together to Damascus.
"The Lebanese side has sought Syria's help in passing Egyptian natural gas and Jordanian electricity through the Syrian territories. The Syrian side has welcomed this request," said Nasri Khoury, head of the Syrian-Lebanese Supreme Council linked to the Damascus government.
He made the remarks after a two-and-a-half-hour meeting in the Syrian capital.
The flow of Egyptian natural gas to Syria was halted in 2010 due to sabotage and shortage attacks, and the pipelines suffered damage during the Syrian civil war.
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Lebanon's foreign minister with Syrian counterpart in Damascus, today (Photo: Reuters)
Lebanon's turn to Syria signals the adoption of the position of Iran's allies in the small country, which houses about one million Syrians - the largest refugee population in the region in relation to the size of the local population. The war in Syria has divided public opinion in Lebanon and while the government has maintained diplomatic ties and minimal security coordination with the Assad regime, it has been divided over official visits and regular relations.
Hezbollah, backed by Iran, sent its fighters to Syria to support Assad's forces against the rebels, and helped the regime survive and regain control of most of the country's territory. However, other parties in Lebanon, most of them allies of the Sunni Western and Gulf states, supported the opposition.
Syrian official media described the visit as an "icebreaker" in relations that would lead to their renewal.
The delegation's visit is also a test of US sanctions on Iran and Syria, as Lebanon seeks to use Syrian pipelines and Iranian fuel to overcome its energy crisis that paralyzes the country and exacerbates social tensions.
The Iranian fuel shipment, which reportedly set off two weeks ago, is expected to reach the Syrian port city of Banias, and from there move to Lebanon in tankers organized by Hezbollah.
This is in violation of the US sanctions imposed by former President Donald Trump on Iran, after he withdrew from the nuclear agreement in 2018.
Many in Lebanon fear that receiving fuel shipments from Iran will lead to further punitive measures by Washington.
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