Lebanon’s Minister of Energy and Water, Joe Saddi, is on an official visit to Washington, where he has held a series of high-level meetings with United States officials and World Bank representatives in a bid to secure international backing for Lebanon’s ailing energy sector.
Saddi met with Laura Lochman, the Deputy Assistant Secretary for Energy Resources at the US State Department, and Natasha Franceschi, the Deputy Director of the Bureau of Near Eastern Affairs, to review Lebanon’s reform efforts, aimed at overhauling and revitalizing its energy infrastructure.
Discussions also touched on the complex geopolitical landscape, particularly during a meeting with Anthony Marcus, the Director of the Middle East and North Africa (MENA) Office at the US Treasury. One of the key topics was the potential easing of US sanctions on Syria, a development that could directly impact Lebanon’s ability to import electricity and gas through neighboring countries.
In parallel, Saddi held working sessions at the World Bank headquarters with Ousmane Dione, the Vice President for the MENA region, and Abdelaziz al-Mulla, an Executive Director at the Bank. Talks focused on Lebanon’s urgent needs in energy production and wastewater treatment, as well as the possibility of increasing World Bank financial support for critical infrastructure projects.
The visit is part of a broader Lebanese government effort to unlock international cooperation amid a deepening economic crisis and to inject life into a sector crippled by years of neglect, corruption and mismanagement.
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