Speaker Berri: Government Should Issue Decrees for Implementation of Oil Law

Local Editor

In an interview with As-Safir daily, Lebanese Speaker of Parliament Nabih Berri said that the "Israeli" declaration of its Leviathan oil field reserve should push Lebanon into several steps forward.

"The first measure is to hurry in issuing decrees for the implementation of the oil law adopted by the Parliament", Speaker Berri affirmed.

Berri added that the the second measure should be to pressure the UN into marking the maritime borders with the Palestinian occupied territories, to prevent any "Israeli" violation into taking over the Lebanese oil fields, referring to the UNIFIL's failure in this issue.

Lebanese Speaker added, "The third measure is to examine the maritime convention between "Israel" and Cyprus, in order to make sure that the Lebanese rights are not violated".

"The fourth measure is to assign specialized firms, on top of which is an Italian high-ranked firm, to oil drill, so that Lebanon's right would be preserved", Nabih Berri confirmed.

Berri clarified that the Chief Executive Officer of the Italian oil drilling company "Eni", visited him in Ein Al Tineh, and informed him that his company has made a study about an oil well in the Lebanese waters.

According to Berri, the study revealed that the oil well was valued to be about $76 billion, a value capable of solving the economic crisis in Lebanon, in addition to building the defense strategy.

Berri added that this was explained in front of the dialogue table members, who also received a Norwegian Company's report that confirms that presence of a big oil reserve in the bottom of the Lebanese waters.

Nabih Berri revealed that his Italian guest seemed to be acknowledged with the situation in Lebanon, and asked about the reason why the Parliament quickly approved the oil law, while it waited for almost two years for it to be implemented by the government.

Lebanese Speaker of Parliament in this context warned that if the government continues being indifferent concerning the Lebanese oil issue, then questions would be asked about its true intentions.