Berri Meets Miqati, Says Delay in Oil Exploration Might Lead to Debriefing Cabinet
Speaker Nabih Berri held closed-door talks with Prime Minister Najib Miqati on Monday after a meeting of the joint parliamentary committees.
Earlier, Berri headed the meeting to discuss the oil exploration project.
The purpose behind holding a meeting for the parliamentary committees is to inquire the cabinet about Lebanon’s offshore oil wealth project, he told As Safir newspaper on Monday.
“The cabinet will be questioned about the release of decrees (concerning the oil exploration) and other related measures,” he said.
He stressed that it is “not acceptable” to delay the practical steps regarding this file.
The speaker warned that if he wasn’t convinced by the answers provided by the cabinet, he will support any MP who would want to call into task the cabinet even if he wanted to debrief it.
On his part, Energy Minister Jebran Bassil told the daily if the meeting of the parliamentary committees is to urge the cabinet to respect the timeframe decided to implement the offshore resources project, “then it’s useful.”
He noted that the Energy Ministry completed its part in preparing the necessary data, information along with the rules and regulations for the petroleum activities.
Bassil noted that the tender might start at the beginning of 2012 if the cabinet acted responsibly towards this issue.
The cabinet approved in September the proposed borders of Lebanon’s Exclusive Economic Zone in the Mediterranean.
A dispute had sparked between Lebanon and Israel over the maritime border after the discovery of potential offshore energy reserves.
The Israeli cabinet in July approved a map and submitted it to the U.N., which has been asked to mediate the growing conflict.
The Israeli map conflicts with Lebanon's proposed borders, which give the Jewish state less territorial waters and was submitted to the U.N. last year.
Beirut argues its map is in line with an armistice accord drawn up in 1949, an agreement which is not contested by Israel.
Israel has for months been moving to develop several large offshore natural gas fields in the eastern Mediterranean, some of which are shared with Cyprus.
However, the cabinet has warned that Beirut will not give up its maritime rights and accuses Israel of violating Lebanese waters, territory and airspace.
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