DAILY NEWS
Energy Minister: World Bank Financing Last Step for Electricity Deal
In a statement, Minister of Energy Walid Fayyad said, “we’ve come to the last round which includes World Bank approval to finance [power production] with gas imported from Egypt and electricity imported from Jordan . . . A contract has been signed with Jordan and it is ready to be enacted when the necessary financing is guaranteed.” [L’Orient Today]
PM to Visit Saudi Arabia This Ramadan
According to Reuters, “Lebanese Prime Minister Najib Mikati said on Monday he will visit Saudi Arabia during the Muslim holy month of Ramadan, Al-Jadeed TV reported, in a sign of improving ties with the kingdom following the return of the its ambassador to Beirut after he was withdrawn during a diplomatic rift.” [Reuters]
EU Elections Observers Conclude Delegation in Lebanon
According to AP News, “A delegation from the European Union election observers on Monday wrapped up a six-day visit to Lebanon during which they discussed the deployment of observers ahead of the upcoming May 15 parliamentary elections in the crisis-hit country.” [AP]
OPINION & ANALYSIS
What Happens In The Middle East Doesn’t Stay In The Middle East
Brian Katulis
Katulis writes, “More than one year into office, the Biden administration has thus far focused on other pressing challenges – the pandemic, climate change, China, and now Russia’s war in Ukraine. But the linkage between what happened in Syria over the past decade and what’s happening now in Ukraine should prompt the United States to devise plans for deepening its engagement in the Middle East with a focus on diplomacy backed by a more balanced security strategy. A strategic reengagement in the Middle East may seem far-fetched given all that America has on its plate, but on key fronts there are certainly ways to strengthen diplomatic and security cooperation with the goal of heading off wider problems in the future . . . In Lebanon, America can step up its diplomatic and economic engagement to support the Lebanese people and help them hold their leaders more accountable for delivering results in governance, as this recent policy analysis by the Middle East Institute and the American Task Force on Lebanon argued.”
Disclaimer: The views and opinions expressed in these articles are those of the author and do not necessarily reflect the position of the American Task Force on Lebanon, a non-profit, nonpartisan leadership organization of Lebanese-Americans.