Jordan will supply Lebanon with 400 megawatts of electricity a day via Syria under a deal signed Wednesday and hoped to help the western Asian Arab nation address its energy crisis.

 

 

The agreement was signed in Beirut by Minister of Energy and Mineral Resources Minister Saleh Kharabsheh, Lebanese Energy Minister Walid Fayad and Syrian Energy Minister Ghassan al Zamel.

 

"This contract enhances communication and cooperation between our countries and our historical relations. We are committed to cooperating with each other for the benefit of all," Kharabsheh said during the signing ceremony.

 

The minister said that the agreement is a culmination of Jordanian efforts to help Lebanon meet part of its electricity needs, "in implementation of the directives of His Majesty King Abdullah II to stand with the Lebanese brothers and support them in overcoming obstacles in the energy sector."

 

Kharabsheh explained that the agreement stipulates that Lebanon will be supplied with 150 megawatts from midnight until 6am, and 250 megawatts for the rest of the day, pointing out that prospects for increasing the supply will be explored later.

 

He indicated that the selling price of electric power to Lebanon will not incur any losses to the Jordanian electrical system, as the cost of distribution will not be included in the price.

 

The minister expressed hope that the agreement would improve power supply in Lebanon and open the door for further cooperation in other fields, noting that any cooperation between Arab countries “is in the interest of all.”

 

Lebanese Prime Minister Najib Mikati had received the three ministers before the signing ceremony at the headquarters of the Lebanese government.