Finance Committee Approves Lebanese-Turkish Military Cooperation Agreements: Here Are the Details!

The Finance and Budget Committee held a session chaired by MP Ibrahim Kanaan, with the attendance of Ministers of Finance Yassine Jabber, Defense Michel Moallem, and Environment Tamarah Zain. The committee reviewed a financial and military cooperation agreement between Lebanon and Turkey, as well as a World Bank loan agreement to finance renewable energy projects and strengthen Lebanon’s power system.

The committee also continued examining a draft law aimed at correcting salaries for some employees in the third category at the Lebanese University.

Attending the session were MPs Ali Fayad, Alain Aoun, Ali Hassan Khalil, Ghassan Hasbani, Jihad al-Samad, Ghazi Zeaiter, Ghalia Ayoub, Ragheh al-Saad, Adnan Trabulsi, Ehab Matar, Fouad Makhzoum, Taher Najee, Paula Yacoubian, and Hassan Fadel.

Also present were the General Director of the Ministry of Finance Georges Maalouf, President of the Lebanese University Dr. Bassam Baddar, and General Director of the Lebanese Electricity Authority Khaled Hayek.

After the session, Kanaan stated: "We approved the draft law regarding the military cooperation agreement between Lebanon and Turkey, valued at 100 million Turkish Lira, approximately $3 million. The agreement includes exchange of expertise, equipment, and other military needs of the army, based on coordination between the defense ministries of both countries over five years. The Ministry of Defense and the Army Command will oversee implementation and activation of this cooperation."

He added: "The second law concerns renewable energy and a $250 million loan intended to strengthen transmission and distribution networks and develop existing facilities requiring rehabilitation. The committee approved the draft law, accompanied by a recommendation emphasizing the need to reconsider the high cost and factor it into future negotiations."

He continued: "We also requested a clear executive report detailing what has been implemented so far in cooperation with the World Bank, especially given the slow pace of implementation. Since we are good at self-criticism, it must be clarified that the delay referred to here stems from international entities, not the Lebanese side."

He said: "Laws are passed in Lebanon within acceptable timeframes, and delays do not come from the Parliament, which typically completes reviewing any submitted law within two to three months at most. This applies equally to financial and banking laws. After reviewing their progress in the Finance and Budget Committee and the Plenary, following recent reports about delays in approval, repeated amendments, objections, and lack of coordination among government components and the IMF—especially after approval—are what cause delays."

He added: "Our recommendation is clear: re-evaluate loan costs, clarify what has been implemented, and inform international institutions that signing a contract in 2026 and completing its implementation only by 2033, for example, is unacceptable—this is where the delay lies, as several ministers and MPs have noted."

He stressed: "Parliamentary oversight is essential. We are a supervisory body, not civil servants under the executive branch. It is our duty to know the cost of laws, Lebanon’s borrowing capacity, the limits of such borrowing, and the actual implementation of loans. We demand speed, firmness, and final figures in all negotiations concerning loans and financial and reform laws."

He believed: "The executive branch must conclude negotiations and finalize them, as ongoing talks without a time limit are unhealthy and lead to further delays."

On the Lebanese University file, Kanaan said: "We approved the draft law correcting salaries for certain employees who were promoted from the fourth to the third category at the Lebanese University—a correction of an ongoing error and injustice since 2014, without increasing salaries. The Ministry of Finance expressed its opinion, confirming that the required amount of 33 billion LBP is available in the university’s budget. Thus, the law was approved in preparation for referral to the Plenary and swift adoption."

He concluded: "Speed is crucial here, matching people’s urgent needs, human suffering, those paying electricity and generator bills, and citizens’ rights. What is needed is real acceleration in addressing these issues, not just talk about speed through external communication or pressure. We are fulfilling our duties, and there are responsibilities on those engaging with us, locally and internationally, particularly the international community, to accelerate implementation procedures. We hear about support for the army and the upcoming conference; we’ve seen multiple conferences without any funding. May God bring good."