‘Remaining step’ to Egyptian gas, Gulf ambassadors’ return, French presidential vote: Everything you need to know to start your Monday

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Energy Minister Walid Fayad said on Saturday that World Bank financing is “the remaining essential step” before gas imports from Egypt via Jordan and Syria can begin. He said the deal process has reached “the last round.” Prime Minister Najib Mikati’s government has repeatedly assured the public that the long-awaited energy deal is around the corner, but obstacles and delays have meant that the deal is yet to be implemented nearly seven months into the cabinet’s tenure. It is diplomatically backed by the Biden administration, though the Republican opposition in the United States Congress has occasionally spoken out against the deal.

Sunni Grand Mufti Abdul Latif Derian will receive Saudi ambassador to Lebanon Walid Bukhari today, after the latter’s return to Lebanon on Friday. Bukhari hosted Derian and other notables at an Iftar dinner at the ambassadorial residence on Sunday. Bukhari’s return, along with the return of his Kuwaiti counterpart, is part of an apparent thaw in the diplomatic standoff between Lebanon and the Gulf monarchies, who for several months have said they will not engage with Lebanon’s government and will not station ambassadors in the country to protest what they say is Hezbollah’s outsized role in domestic politics. On Sunday, Kuwaiti Foreign Minister Ahmad Nasser al-Mohammad Al-Sabah spoke with Mikati via phone and said that his country will “spare no effort to support Lebanon.”

French citizens residing in Lebanon, the majority of whom are of Lebanese origin or nationality, had the opportunity to vote for French presidential candidates on Sunday. Twelve polling stations were open across the country, with the majority being in Beirut, to allow nearly 19,000 registered voters to participate in the foreign election. The democratic exercise comes just one month ahead of Lebanon’s own elections, which will also feature overseas polling places, including over 40 in France.

On Tuesday the Parliamentary Finance and Budget Committee will meet to continue studying the draft 2022 budget. Committee chair Ibrahim Kanaan has said he is confident the committee will send the budget to a vote before elections, which are in just over a month. The issue of determining the exchange rate to be used for calculating tax obligations is among the most challenging points of contention.

In case you missed it, here’s our must-read article from over the weekend: “Ghada Aoun, scandals aside”