Jordan will host a meeting of Egypt, Syria, and Lebanon’s energy ministers on Wednesday to discuss the transit of Egyptian gas to Lebanon for electricity generation.
Observers said that Amman succeeded in lifting the siege imposed on Syria in response to the energy crisis in Lebanon amid a surplus of electrical energy production in Jordan.
The infrastructure is almost ready for the transit of Egyptian gas from Jordan and Syria to Lebanon.
Damascus announced its approval of Beirut’s request to help pass Egyptian gas and Jordanian electricity through its territory and confirmed its readiness to help with transit for Egyptian gas and Jordanian electricity, the Syrian Arabian News Agency (SANA) reported Saturday.
Jordanian King Abdullah II discussed the Lebanese energy issues during his meetings with US President Joe Biden and Russian President Vladimir Putin in the past two months.
The monarch received in Amman a Lebanese delegation headed by deputy Prime Minister and acting Minister of Foreign Affairs and Emigrants Zeina Akar.
Top political sources told Asharq Al-Awsat there were also unannounced meetings at the royal palace with Lebanese political leaders.
King Abdullah is seeking to support Lebanon’s state institutions and army to maintain its security, stability and unity and ensure the speedy provision of its energy needs.
Amman is willing to supply Lebanon with Egyptian gas and Jordanian electricity. However, according to Jordanian sources, the electricity transmission networks require months to be prepared and will need immediate support to protect power stations inside Syria.
On Saturday, a Lebanese ministerial delegation visited Damascus for the first time since the outbreak of the conflict in 2011 to discuss gas and energy transit through Syria.
Last month, the Lebanese presidency announced that Washington has agreed to help Lebanon secure electricity and natural gas from Egypt and Jordan through Syria.
This means that the US is willing to waive sanctions that prohibit any official transactions with the Syrian government that have hampered Lebanon’s previous attempts to secure gas from Egypt.
Lebanon is suffering major fuel shortages, which have impacted various sectors, including hospitals, in light of an economic crisis described by the World Bank as one of the worst in modern times.
