Lebanon-Jordan-Syria trilateral meeting on power interconnection project

Lebanese Energy and Water Minister Joe Saddi participated Thursday in a trilateral meeting in Amman with his Jordanian and Syrian counterparts, Saleh al-Kharabche and Mohammad Bachir, dedicated to reviving electric interconnection projects and restarting the Arab Gas Pipeline.

"Syria’s strategic geographic position, as a link between Jordan and Lebanon for electricity transmission lines and the Arab Gas Pipeline, requires ongoing coordination with neighboring countries to rehabilitate these networks and return them to service in line with technical standards and requirements," said the Syrian minister.

The meeting focused on the need to assess the technical state of the electric interconnection infrastructure and gas pipelines on the Syrian and Lebanese sides, while Kharabche emphasized Jordan’s readiness to supply both countries with part of their energy needs.

The gathering also aimed to strengthen Arab cooperation in the energy field by relaunching electric interconnection projects, resuming gas transmission via the Arab Gas Pipeline, and bolstering joint efforts to improve system efficiency and the reliability of supply between the three nations.

The three ministers agreed to form joint technical teams tasked with assessing and modernizing these lines, safeguarding the interests of each party, and establishing a matrix of necessary measures to be monitored by the various stakeholders.

"This meeting is part of continued dialogue and cooperation with friendly neighboring countries," said Saddi, while stressing that "the interconnection projects serve the interests of all parties involved." He specified that "the gas and electricity connection projects are essential and strategic for the participating states, as they reinforce avenues of Arab cooperation and open the door to further development of future economic projects."

The Jordanian minister, for his part, affirmed that Amman "believes in the need to enhance the level of cooperation between the three countries on various energy projects, to address existing challenges and overcome them in order to serve everyone’s interests."

He added that "this meeting aims to strengthen the vast common opportunities among the countries involved in electric and gas interconnection projects, in coordination with donors such as the Arab Fund for Economic and Social Development and the World Bank," highlighting "Jordan’s determination to capitalize on and maximize the available opportunities and advance the levels of cooperation."

Bachir, for his part, explained that "the technical teams are working tirelessly to rehabilitate and modernize the electric interconnection lines and to overcome certain challenges faced by the Arab Gas Pipeline on the Lebanese side," while noting that "the connections with Jordan are at a high level of readiness."

In the summer of 2021, the United States launched a project to allow Lebanon to import Egyptian gas and Jordanian-produced electricity.

However, implementation was blocked by the so-called Caesar Act, which allowed Washington to impose sanctions on any entity cooperating with the Syrian regime of former president Bashar al-Assad, who was ousted on Dec. 8.

After U.S. President Donald Trump officially lifted U.S. sanctions against Syria earlier this year, Lebanese Foreign Affairs Minister Joe Rajji stated that this move could, in theory, allow for the revival of the 2021 project.