Geagea Calls for Formation of New Cabinet to Tackle Petroleum File
إقرأ هذا الخبر بالعربية
Lebanese Forces leader Samir Geagea rejected calls for awarding the 10 offshore blocks for oil exploration at one time, pointing out that the drilling process isn't “urgent” and can wait for the formation of a new cabinet.
“We should designate one or two blocks in the first stage so that we could award the remaining oil blocks with higher prices and the state would also gain the necessary expertise to deal with the matter,” Geagea said in an interview with As Safir newspaper on Thursday.
He also didn't rule out the possibility of establishing a national oil company.
Acute discord among Lebanese officials is delaying the awarding of 10 of the oil blocks as Speaker Nabih Berri is calling for the assigning of the 10 offshore blocks for oil exploration at once.
Meanwhile, caretaker Energy Minister Jebran Bassil is calling for designating only two blocks for the meantime.
Geagea told As Safir that Lebanon shouldn't start exploring gas in areas far from the disputed territorial waters with Israel and tasking a specialized international law firm with proving Lebanon's right.
Lebanon and Israel are bickering over a zone that consists of about 854 square kilometers and suspected energy reserves there could generate billions of dollars.
“Israel still needs more than a year to kick off the exploration process, which in turn grants Lebanon enough time to prove its rights,” the LF leader added.
Concerning the lingering dispute over holding a session for the caretaker cabinet to endorse two decrees essential to award the oil blocks for the oil companies, Geagea rejected the issue.
He pointed out that the political foes should swiftly agree on forming a new cabinet to tackle the petroleum file.
“The matter isn't urgent and we don't trust the caretaker cabinet,” Geagea noted.
The decrees call for demarcating 10 maritime oil exploration blocks and setting up a revenue-sharing model.
Caretaker Prime Minister Najib Miqati continuously argued that holding a session for the cabinet requires a unanimous political agreement, pointing out that a caretaker cabinet can't approve non-essential decrees.
However, Berri and Bassil call for the caretaker to hold an extraordinary session to approve the two decrees and guarantee Lebanon's rights.
Bassil postponed again on Friday the oil and gas tenders from December 10, 2013 to January 10, 2014 after the cabinet failed once again to convene to approve the two decrees.
The country's oil and gas wealth attracted around 46 Arab and international companies in the second pre-qualification round of the tenders process.
10 October 2013, 09:40
147
Yes Mr Flamethrower every one is rushing to rip off son-in-law #1's words and when Aoun anoints ImBassil king of the FPM all of the block leaders will bow to his genius.
BTW any news on all those US military personal that were going to mutiny because they were not going to get paid?... that was one of your funniest comments :-)
10 October 2013, 09:49
213
god bless whoever makes the oil plan work for the sake of all Lebanese citizens
and its better than crippling the state with billions of debts with their interest
10 October 2013, 11:08
84
At least this guy served a sentence. Good or bad, fair or unfair, and whether it actually reformed him is vague, but how many others deserve a couple of decades in a cell but didn't get it?
10 October 2013, 11:46
315
how many? i will tell you how many... Samir GeaGea, Nabih Berri, Hasan Nasrallah, Fouad saniora, saad hariri and family, michel aoun, jobran bassil, fatfat you know what the list is too long and ive got only 1000 words to write here so you guess the rest...
10 October 2013, 15:03
82
Someone should write a statement and make every political factions sign that if any of them or family get a cent from the oil exploitation they would agree to be jailed for life.
What's the big deal? They know we don't trust any of them.
Sign it or leave the oil at the bottom of the sea.
10 October 2013, 15:24
00
GabbyMarch14 stopped his ludicrous predictions FINALLY. But Dr. Arreet 7akeh seems to be much... well... umm... duh... smarter? OBVIOUSLY. wlak akh menna ya 7ak...awati chou bala karameh akh.
10 October 2013, 16:33
27
Geagea ra7 yjin that Aoun might take the credit for the oil file.
10 October 2013, 16:57
36
Hmmmm. What did Dr. G ever achieve for Lebanon? Agreeing to abolish that useless Good Friday and accepting rule if Ikhwan were all great plans though.
11 October 2013, 03:48
10
LF
At the end of the day we both have a lot in common , & that is to defend our heritage , Land , & our people's survival as " Christians " among the whole of the ME that is infested with fanatics !
We shall defend our Saviour to the end of time ...,no matter what is the outcome ! Regardless whether they are Zionists or Islamists ' ....except for our moderate brothers' ! They also have the same rights as we do !!!
I'm reaching out to you but forget who is our so called " Leaders' " they are all fake , but one & only .........according to the New Testament .....
Signed Wolf ......
10 October 2013, 16:46
46
@LF
With all due respect ,
Once I wrote a quote from the the bible , you wrote to back to me saying that a 2000 year old religious quotation does not apply in today's modern times.
But now it seems fit for you to be religious ?
The only person that should be ashamed is Gaga for the crimes he committed against his fellow Christians ! Unless he Admits & Repents for the Atrocities then he shall always be cursed !
Paul repented & asked to be forgiven thus God has granted him to be one of the most important Apostle , read the Bible , you might be enlightened & have a different view of Gaga .......after murdering fellow Christians this Gaga has the nerve to be a Candidate for the Presidency ? What filth ! I shall never forget nor forgive him for what he did ! NEVER .....
Signed Wolf !
10 October 2013, 17:13
36
LF, I certainly agree with you .
But, beside Repent , shouldn't Gaga concentrate on more effort to retrieve our stolen land " Shebaa Farms " as well as our water resources taken without our permission by the thieving Israelis ?
But what do you expect from a convicted criminal ? His priorities are only for his self interest , nothing else matters to him but himself , especially when someone has committed the ultimate Sin !
God,Country & Family was thrown out a long time ago by him . What a shame .
Signed Wolf !
10 October 2013, 19:37
73
our stolen land " Shebaa Farms "
What part of the UN declaration that Shebaa Farms is Syrian territory don't you quite understand?
10 October 2013, 19:02
73
what is wrong M8ers? a caretaker cabinet CANNOT take decisive measures... so form a new cabinet then the issue will be swiftly tackled...
why don't M8 want to follow the laws and rules? i wonder.....
11 October 2013, 21:56
00
@lebanonforever, I like your words ya man. Honest and from the heart. Let the free of sin amongst us cast the first stone.
