Arab states electric grid expands
Regional, Economics, 5/17/2000

The minister of electricity in the five electricity grid states, Syria, Jordan, Egypt, Iraq and Turkey, as well as Lebanon and Libya on Tuesday in Amman concluded their 7th meeting.

In their final session, the ministers signed an agreement provides for Lebanon's joining the five grid member states and thereby the project has become under the name 6th electricity grid states.

The ministers also discussed minutes of meetings of the 7th meeting in Amman.

Meantime, directors of the national electricity companies in these countries signed their agreements they had reached during the meeting of the technical committees which preceded the meeting of the ministers.

The ministers, on the other hand, decided to convene their 8th meeting in Lebanon next year.

In a statement to SANA's correspondent in Amman the Syrian minister of electricity Munib Saem al-Daher said that this project aims at unifying these electricity grids and there will be no difference between parts of the national's network ( each country's national network) and the overall united electricity grid and therefore each of the said states parts of this electricity networking can make use of a reserve electricity generation of other member countries, estimated at 500 megawatt. He added that at any emergency case at the "national" electricity network, each of the said countries can benefit from the agreements signed so as the project can ensure needed electricity capacity at times of emergency.

For his part, the Lebanese minister of electricity Suleiman Trabulsi said in a similar statement that this new agreement which Lebanon has joined is also a trade agreement and also states electricity grid link with Syria, noting that this project will be financed by the Arab Fund for social and economic development ( the electricity grid between Syria and Lebanon). The Lebanese president also indicated that a draft agreement will be signed today in Beirut with the Lebanese construction council and it will be at a cost of 8 million Kuwaiti dinars.

The Lebanese minister said that Lebanon takes its electricity from Syria, noting the close cooperation between the two states in this regard.

He explained that Syria, and following the brutal Israeli aggressions against the power plants in Lebanon immediately responded to Lebanon's demands of electricity and took necessary technical measures that ensured 200 Megawatt helped in feeding most Lebanese areas with electricity.

Previous Stories:
  Regional electric network countries meet to expand grid   (5/16/2000)
  Arab fund grants $8.4 million loan to Morocco   (4/14/2000)
  Increasing capital of Islamic Development Bank to $8 billion   (3/30/2000)

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