Lebanese caretaker Prime Minister Najib Mikati met with Egyptian President Abdel Fattah el-Sisi at the COP28 UN Climate Change Conference in Dubai, United Arab Emirates.
During the meeting, the two officials discussed the situation in Lebanon and Gaza, as well as Egyptian efforts to halt Israeli aggression in the region and achieve a ceasefire as a prelude to resuming comprehensive discussions, taking into account Palestinian rights.
Additionally, Mikati met with the Chairman and CEO of the French company “Total Energies,” Patrick Pouyanné, in the presence of the Minister of Energy and Water, Walid Fayad.
The meeting focused on the periodic report prepared by Total Energies regarding drilling and exploration for gas and oil in Lebanon’s territorial waters. They discussed the possibility of resuming drilling operations at a second site in Block 9. Pouyanné noted that “this is subject to the report’s findings obtained so far.”
The discussion also addressed potential drilling in Blocks 8 and 10, and the two proposals submitted by Total Energies.
The Prime Minister expressed his wish for “expediting the submission of the report so that, based on the results, we can proceed with discussions on the next steps.”
Additionally, the meeting covered the proposal presented by Total Energies and Qatar Energy regarding the swift implementation of solar power for electricity generation.
