’’March 14’s’’Invents Postpone Electricity, Lebanon Heads the World

Zeinab Essa

As the region enters the era of volatile oil conflict, Lebanon found no way but to well prepare his files for the next absolutely coming confrontation.

Cyprus announced launching oil drilling accompanied by American political cover and companies.

Turkey responded firmly by declaring readiness for a military confrontation in face of its neighbor's step.

In turn, Lebanon heading the world's presidency adopted the exclusive maritime economic zone while some are breathless after malicious disputes crippling files of people's livelihood.

Lebanon Adopts Economic Zone

Lebanese government agreed Monday on the line of demarcation for Lebanon's Exclusive Economic Zone, in anticipation of future plans to drill for oil and gas in Lebanese territorial waters and amid a regional conflict regarding this topic especially with the Zionist entity.

As some experts informed "as-Safir" Lebanese newspaper that Lebanon is away from the Turkish-Cypriot oil conflict, ministerial sources confirmed that Lebanon is to launch soon the development and implementation of the law concerned with Lebanon's oil and gas and economic maritime borders.

"Time is a golden element. The Lebanese government must speed up its procedures and establish a working cell to follow up this file on daily basis," an international expert warned.

In an interview with "as-Safir", the expert clarified that "international companies are more interested in exploring and drilling in the Lebanese sea than in "Israel" because the dispute between Beirut and "Tel Aviv" puts the interests of global companies at risk and this point must be of maximum benefit to Lebanon."

Revealing that "the presence of large amounts of gas in the Lebanese shores would reposition the function of Lebanese economy," the expert added that "it would also put Lebanon on the map of first gas-exporting countries in the world."

Berri to Maintain Rights, Bassil for non-Leniency with Cyprus

In the same context, House Speaker Nabih Berri called that "Lebanon must maintain its rights and marine wealth, and begin as soon as possible to ensure benefit from this wealth especially that time passes without interest."

"This matter should coincide with the issuance of decrees, in parallel with launching negotiations with Cyprus to clarify the line," he considered.

Revealing that "he has raised this issue with President Suleiman before the latter went to New York," Berri mentioned that President Suleiman has put "Israel's" infringement on 870 kilometers of Lebanese waters at the top of the agenda of his talks with world leaders in New York, including U.N. chief Ban Ki-moon.
 
In parallel, Foreign Minister Adnan Mansour is expected to meet with his Cypriot counterpart Markos Kyprianou ahead of the UN General Assembly opening Wednesday.

"Mansour had clear directions from President Michel Suleiman to meet his Cypriot counterpart," a diplomatic source told "As-Safir".

For his part, Water and Energy Minister Jibran Bassil stressed in the government's meeting Monday that the Lebanese attitude regarding oil must be very firm with the State of Cyprus in terms of informing that the failure to correct the mistake with "Israel" threatens its relations with Lebanon on one hand, and doesn't allow Cyprus to perform any exploration for oil and gas in common areas with Lebanon on the other hand.
 
In an interview with "as-Safir", Bassil confirmed that he had discussed the matter with Ambassador of Cyprus, who visited him last week to discuss some of the mechanisms for joint exploration in the sea.
 
"Lebanon will not show any indulgence with respect to any State or entity affecting
our sovereign rights."
 
"The government's priority today is to file drilling for oil and gas at sea rather than distraction and time wasting in concerted and consensual subjects such as electricity," he added stressing that "the government needs to move quickly in the oil's file and its decrees."

"The coordinates approved by the government were virtually identical to those that have been developed in 2008 by the government of Fouad Siniora; this means that we wasted three years until we admitted coordinates," he pointed out.

Electricity Not Yet:

At another level, electricity bill will be put to a vote in Parliament's joint committees
 Wednesday, as "March 14" lawmakers in the committees failed Monday the plan by dragging their heels and dealing spitefully with the bill.

In an attempt to undermine the prerogatives of Energy Minister Bassil, "March 14"MPs demanded the introduction of new amendments.

"They do not want electricity," said MP Nabil Nicholas.

"We will not allow the passing of proposals which aim at undermining the prerogatives of the Minister Bassil and violate the principles of separation of powers and balanced development," MP Ali Ammar said.

"They called for a briefing on the specifications handbooks, but they never did so when they were in power," Ammar said. "These are impossible proposals."

"Al-Akhbar" daily reported that Speaker Berri did not set a date for the plenary as he is waiting for what will result from the meetings of joint committees.

Lebanon Heads UNSC

Meanwhile, Lebanon has completed its preparations to chair the UN Security Council.

A diplomatic source told "an-Nahar" daily that officials attach a great deal of importance to highlighting Lebanon's role during the two weeks when President Suleiman will take part in the General Assembly meetings and chair the Security Council.
 
According to the diplomatic source, "Lebanon will support recognizing the state of Palestine in the General Assembly."
 
During the Council of Ministers' session, PM Najib Mikati tackled Lebanon's participation in the UN General Assembly, saying that "it acquires an extraordinary importance this year due to the fact that Lebanon chairs Security Council sessions."
 

Source: Lebanese newspapers, Translated and Edited by moqawama.org