The French Embassy announced in a statement that "the ambassador in charge of coordinating international support for Lebanon, Pierre Ducan, will visit Beirut on Thursday and Friday, February 2nd and 3rd, as part of a mission related to France's support for the development of the energy sector in Lebanon. On this occasion, he will assess the situation concerning the interconnection project in the energy sector, particularly the import of gas from Egypt and electricity from Jordan."
The statement added: "This visit to Beirut follows a tour that took him to both Egypt and Jordan, before he heads soon to Washington." It continued: "He will meet on this occasion with Prime Minister Najib Mikati, Minister of Energy and Water Walid Fayyad, Deputy Prime Minister Saadeh Al-Shami, Minister of Finance Youssef Khalil, and General Director of the Electricité du Liban Kamal Hayek, in addition to representatives from the World Bank and the International Monetary Fund in Beirut."
It was noted that "Ambassador Ducan will address the reforms that have been initiated in the energy sector, emphasizing that progress in their implementation is a prerequisite for launching regional projects related to interconnection in the energy sector, with the support of the World Bank. France is mobilizing its efforts to facilitate the conclusion of this project among all concerned parties."
The statement concluded: "France remains strongly committed to Lebanon in advancing the energy sector, not only through supporting the necessary reforms but also through the work of French companies such as Électricité de France (EDF), TotalEnergies, and Nexans." Additionally, Ambassador Ducan will meet with Minister of Public Works and Transport Ali Hamieh to discuss the reconstruction of the Port of Beirut.
