Duquesne meets Mikati over energy sector

French presidential envoy Pierre Duquesne met Thursday at the Grand Serail with caretaker Prime Minister Najib Mikati.

Duquesne is in a two-day visit to Lebanon in a French mission aimed at supporting the energy sector in Lebanon.

The French envoy visited Egypt and Jordan and will visit the U.S. in two weeks to discuss with the American authorities an energy deal that would provide gas and electricity to Lebanon from Egypt and Jordan via Syria to seek waivers from sanctions against Syria.

Washington had offered reassurances to Lebanon and waivers from sanctions to companies sending gas and electricity through Syria. But there has been some push back from Congress against offering what seems to be a relief for the government of Syrian President Bashar Assad.

Duquesne stressed the importance of auditing the energy sector accounts and forming the electricity regulatory commission, two major prerequisites for the country to access a bail-out from the International Monetary Fund.