Prime Minister Najib Mikati presided on Tuesday over a meeting held at the Grand Serail dedicated to discuss World Bank’s projects aimed at supporting and reforming Lebanon's power sector.
Following the meeting, Minister of Energy Walid Fayyad said that the meeting studied the requirements and the necessary steps to implement contracts for extracting gas from Egypt and energy from Jordan through Syria.
He also noted that the World Bank shared the latest developments of the proposed financing model.
“We are cooperating together to finish the work plan and the technical steps associated to restoring the electricity line, as well as the financing and contractual aspects that we are working on with various ministries and departments,” he added.
For his part, Regional Director of the Mashreq Department at the World Bank Group (WBG) Saroj Kumar Jha said that discussions with PM Mikati, Minister Fayyad and the concerned officials focused on the proposal of the World Bank to help reforms in the electricity sector.
“This is an essential matter for more transparency, better regulations and laws, and for an increase in the supply of electricity to Lebanese citizens,” he went on to say.
“This program will be discussed in the government, which we would like to work with in order to speed up reforms in the electricity sector and make it a more sustainable one," he concluded by saying.
Mikati then met with Executive Director of the World Food Program David Beasley, whereby they discussed the increase in financial and food assistance provided by the Program to Lebanese.
The meeting was also attended by the United Nations Deputy Special Coordinator in Lebanon Najat Rushdie and Regional Director of the WFP Corinne Fleischer, and the WFP Representative and Country Director in Lebanon Abdallah al-Wardat.
Following the meeting, Beasley said that “they addressed economic situation and food security in Lebanon, as well as the worsening of the global economy caused by climate change and COVID-19,” noting that “Lebanon's predicament is not different from what is happening throughout the world.”
He also stressed that the program aspires to expand the scope of aid in Lebanon as it will focus strictly on the neediest groups.
Later in the day, Mikati received French Ambassador to Lebanon Anne Grillo, and discussed general situation and political developments in Lebanon and the region.