New US moves in the Lebanese border and energy dossier.
US Secretary of State Amos Hoekstein, Washington’s new envoy to energy and mediator in the Lebanon-Israel dispute over the maritime border and gas exploration in the eastern Mediterranean, arrived in Beirut yesterday and told Lebanese officials that the US Treasury Department had sent a message of reassurance. It has sent a section to Cairo to facilitate the signing of an agreement with Jordan and Syria on the transfer of gas to Lebanon and its exemption from the “Caesar’s Law” sanctions.
The US envoy, who is also interested in the Lebanese energy issue in addition to the Lebanese-occupied Palestinian border, said the US decision includes special facilities that would allow Lebanon and Egypt to reach a speedy agreement on gas supplies through Syria.
The Lebanese newspaper Al-Akhbar reported on the statements and positions of the American mediator, as it is clear from Hokstein’s remarks that the American side is preparing for a new political investment by its allies in Lebanon.
According to Al-Akhbar, the Americans intend to limit cooperation in the transfer of Egyptian gas to Lebanon in the executive stages of these two countries and to hand over relations with Syria to the Egyptian and Jordanian sides; In such a way that an Egyptian company will be responsible for repairing the problems in the Lebanese pipeline. The Egyptian company is also responsible as a third party for overseeing the amount and volume of gas supplies to Lebanon under an agreement to be signed between Beirut and Cairo.
Regarding the import of electricity from Jordan to Lebanon, a meeting is scheduled for October 28 in Amman, the capital of Jordan, with the presence of the energy ministers of Jordan, Syria and Lebanon to complete the discussion on the agreement that will lead to Lebanon’s access to Jordanian electricity. The transfer of Jordanian electricity to Lebanon requires the repair of the electricity transmission network from Syria, part of which has been damaged in the sabotage of terrorist groups.
Sources close to Lebanese Prime Minister Najib Mikati reported that he was preparing to meet with Iraqi Prime Minister Mustafa al-Kadhimi, during which he would meet with his Iraqi counterpart to increase Iraqi fuel exports to Lebanon. In particular, Beirut’s negotiations with Cairo to receive Egyptian fuel appear to have been hampered by the country’s request for immediate payment.
Amman and Cairo are currently negotiating with the United States to reach a formal agreement to exclude the Egyptian gas and electricity transmission agreement with Jordan from Caesar’s law. The White House, the National Security Council, and the State Department and Treasury are considering with Congress the possibility of providing a letter of guarantee or assurance as an alternative to exemption from the sanctions system. In particular, the US Treasury Department continues to oppose the suspension of the sanctions system. It seems that removing the obstacles in the way of the Egyptian gas transmission project is one of Hokstein’s missions.
Informed sources emphasize that Hoekstein was born in the occupied territories and served in the Israeli army. Therefore, presenting him as a neutral mediator between Lebanon and the Zionist regime has no legal justification; Because in any case he has Israeli citizenship. He also has the idea of ignoring the lines and moving towards a direct dialogue on joint offshore fields and profit sharing through the company that manages the disputed area.
