The caretaker Prime Minister Najib Mikati affirmed that "the ongoing Israeli attacks on the south, including the deliberate killing of its people, the destruction of towns, and the burning of crops, should not only be condemned by us but is a described destructive and terrorist aggression that the international community must put a stop to. We, for our part, will refer to the relevant international authorities, and we reaffirm our commitment to implementing Resolution 1701 in full."
In a speech at the beginning of the Council of Ministers session, he stated, "We appreciate the initiative of friendly countries and decision-making nations in seeking to stop the Israeli assaults, and we welcome the Security Council's Resolution 2732 that set a roadmap to halt the fighting in Gaza. We hope this resolution will be implemented quickly to prevent a large-scale war in the region. This week, we participated in the conference on 'Emergency Humanitarian Response in Gaza' in Jordan, which was an opportunity to reaffirm Lebanon's presence in all forums. We reiterated the Lebanese stance and called upon our Arab brothers and the international community to continue supporting Lebanon and pressuring the Israeli enemy. This conference set the stage for another one aimed at launching support for Gaza and the areas affected by the events in Gaza, and we made our mark on this issue so that Lebanon will be one of the countries included in this platform."
Mikati pointed out that "a year has passed since the last session for electing a new president for the republic, and we are still debating the 'nature of the dialogue and its forms'. However, there is a near consensus that dialogue is essential to find the right path for electing a president and restoring stability and order to constitutional institutions. On behalf of myself and you, I reiterate the urgency of electing a new president for the republic. I call on all parties to think together, communicate, and collaborate to save our country from the challenges and dangers that threaten us all. We commend all initiatives held in this regard and hope they will be crowned with success."
Mikati praised "the Internal Security Forces on their celebration this week, wishing them continued service to the nation and protection of its people. On this occasion, we extend our thanks to the United Arab Emirates for its continued support to the Internal Security Forces, as well as Qatar for its ongoing efforts to support the army and enhance its capabilities and skills."
He clarified, "We received a letter from the Minister of Economy and Trade requesting to present the offer from Qatar Electricity to the Council of Ministers. This subject has taken on a populist tone, and a large part of the discussion is outside the legal framework of the project."
Mikati added, "On June 26, 2023, Total Energies and Qatar Energy expressed their desire to develop and implement 100 megawatts of solar energy at two initial locations in Ras Baalbek and Maqneh in the Bekaa and Baalbek-Hermel governorates. This offer was based on a Build, Own, Operate model for 25 years, along with a set of technical, financial, and contractual inquiries to determine the correct legal framework for contracting via a Power Purchase Agreement."
He announced, "I sent a letter a month later, on August 1, 2023, to the mentioned companies expressing my welcome for the offer and directed the Ministry of Energy and Water and its related institutions to follow up on this matter, considering the issuance of a license to purchase energy is connected to establishing a regulatory authority for the electricity sector and creating the appropriate legal and contractual framework. Meanwhile, the Council of Ministers had issued a decision to extend the licenses granted to 11 companies for generating electrical power from solar energy at a capacity of 15 megawatts per license," clarifying that "during this period, a team from the Ministry of Energy and Water has been following up with a technical team from Total Energies on the required technical, legal warranties from the Lebanese state, specifically from the Ministry of Finance and the Central Bank, to secure monthly payments and open letters of credit and transfer funds to the consortium's account after converting collections from the Lebanese pound to the US dollar."
Mikati revealed, "Negotiations were ongoing between the Ministry of Energy and Water's team and Total Energies regarding the possibility of the company acquiring 15-megawatt licenses and working to increase them by issuing a decision in the Council of Ministers. However, Total Energies reverted and altered its intention to acquire existing licenses, and in a letter dated April 21, 2024, it requested to work on finding the legal framework for the licenses and to find a way to implement a Power Purchase Agreement for 25 years instead of acquiring any of the licenses granted by the Council of Ministers in May 2022. This undoubtedly requires the issuance of a law in the Parliament allowing the government to negotiate with a single bidder on the kilowatt-hour price for 25 years. We are waiting for the Minister of Energy and Water to present the available options from a contractual and legal perspective that allow Total Energies and Qatar Energy to build 100 megawatts to sell the produced energy for 25 years to the Electricité du Liban through a Power Purchase Agreement."
He continued, "As we approach the summer season, accompanied by successful efforts and campaigns by the Minister of Tourism, we hope this will be the entry point to affirm Lebanon's center and role in the global tourism map. We hope this summer will provide an opportunity to establish security stability and enhance the tourism economy, welcoming Lebanese citizens and all Arab brothers, to confirm that Lebanon remains, and will continue to be, God willing, a land of beauty and peace."
Mikati noted that "some political positions yesterday implied that we are skeptical about the judicial authorities and that there is a conflict between us and the State Council regarding the two laws that we did not publish at the end of last year concerning old rents and teachers, and we sent them back to the Parliament. In this context, I must express my complete respect for the work of the judicial authorities and the decisions issued by them. I directed a letter to the Parliament immediately after the State Council's decision in this regard, if it so wishes, to return the two laws to us for publication."
