BEIRUT: Energy and Water Minister Arthur Nazarian underlined Friday the urgency of approving decrees to launch offshore oil and gas exploration bids, cautioning that further delays would allow Israel to siphon off Lebanon’s resources.
“It is of utmost importance that the Council of Ministers passes the decrees, in order to launch prospecting bids,” Nazarian said.
“We cannot delay the matter anymore, because we would then be giving Israel more time to tap into the reserves belonging to Lebanon,” he said.
Nazarian spoke at the end of a meeting on the stalled issue that grouped Prime Minister Tammam Salam, the parliamentary committee of water and energy and the Petroleum Administration Committee.
“We hope the government would (settle the issue) and give it as a present to the Lebanese people for the new year,” Nazarian said.
Parliament Speaker Nabih Berri accused Israel of stealing Lebanon’s offshore gas wealth and called on UNIFIL to help Lebanon preserve its rights to its exclusive economic zone for exploiting maritime reserves.
Lebanon and Israel are at loggerheads over 870 kilometers in the southern territorial waters.
Lebanon insists this disputed zone is part of the Lebanese territorial waters and is not willing to concede a single kilometer to Israel.
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