Lebanon's Weekly Cabinet Meeting Discusses Power, Turkey Visit, and Syrian Economic Ties

Prime Minister Nawaf Salam convened the weekly cabinet meeting.

Following the session, Information Minister Paul Marquess stated, "We held our morning meeting, as every Monday, with several ministers present and chaired by Prime Minister Dr. Nawaf Salam to discuss three main topics."

He explained that "the first topic concerned exploring ways to enhance electricity supply during the summer season. The second topic related to the Prime Minister's visit to Turkey, where he affirmed Lebanon's independent decision-making in negotiations and emphasized the need to expedite Israeli withdrawal. He also discussed with President Recep Tayyip Erdoğan the trilateral electricity interconnection among Turkey, Syria, and Lebanon. Additionally, he showed interest in the memorandum of understanding between Turkey and Saudi Arabia regarding the Hijaz railway, focusing on activating the Tripoli–Homs and Beirut–Damascus lines."

"The visit also covered Turkish investments, particularly in Lebanon's infrastructure sector, as well as reviving the free trade agreement between the two countries. Lebanese ministers will follow up on these matters with their Turkish counterparts as requested by the Prime Minister," Marquess added.

He further noted, "The third and final topic concerned the visit of the Minister of Economy and Trade to the Syrian Arab Republic, which the Prime Minister considered to be yielding tangible results following his previous visit and the launch of the Lebanese-Syrian joint committee thereafter. The Minister of Economy and Trade mentioned that there are forty-two agreements between Lebanon and Syria that will be reviewed by the relevant ministers in their respective sectors. He also explained that his visit addressed border crossings, especially the Al-Masnaa crossing, focusing on revising customs and traffic procedures to facilitate movement."