UNIFIL to Aid Lebanon in Oil Exploration after 'Political Solution' Reached
UNIFIL Commander Maj. Gen. Paolo Serra said on Thursday that the peacekeeping force is waiting for the Lebanese to reach a political solution over the extraction of the country's oil and gas resources to ensure the safety of the its maritime.
The “UNIFIL has nine vessels and will offer all the logistic capabilities to aid Lebanon in the drilling process,” Serra said in comments published in al-Akhbar newspaper.
UNIFIL's Maritime Task Force comprises nine naval units from Bangladesh (2 ships), Brazil (1 ship - Flag Ship), Germany (2 ships), Greece (1 ship), Indonesia (1 ship), Italy (1 ship) and Turkey (1 ship).
However, Serra pointed out that the matter “reached a standstill.”
Acute discord among Lebanese officials is delaying the awarding of 10 offshore oil blocks as Speaker Nabih Berri is calling for the assigning of the 10 offshore blocks for oil exploration at once.
Caretaker Energy Minister Jebran Bassil is calling for designating only two blocks for the meantime and urging caretaker Prime Minister Najib Miqati to hold an extraordinary session to approve two necessary draft-laws.
The decrees call for demarcating 10 maritime oil exploration blocks and setting up a revenue-sharing model.
However, the March 14 alliance is calling for the postponement of the issue, which is not “urgent” and can wait until the formation of a new cabinet.
According to al-Akhbar newspaper, United Nations Secretary-General Ban K-moon had suggested to extend the term of Serra a month ago.
Serra's mandate ends in January.
Sources told al-Akhbar that Lebanon and the U.N. “agreed to extend Serra's term regarding the delicate situation in Lebanon and the region, in particular, the crisis in Syria.”
The daily said that the concerned parties favor the decision as Serra “is completely coordinating with the Lebanese army and security forces and has acquired the necessary knowledge regarding Lebanon's local complications.”
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