New Syrian - Iraqi pipeline to be built

The Jordanian daily al-Dostour quoted Iraqi Oil Minister Amer Muhammad Rasheed as saying that at the conclusion of his visit to Damascus he had the consent of Syrian officials to resume exportation of his country's oil to European and American markets through the Tibeline pipeline linking the Karkouk oil fields in northern Iraq to the Syrian Banias and the Lebanese Tripoli ports on the Mediterranean.

Rasheed added that following the meetings he held with Syrian Deputy Premier Salim Yassin and his Syrian counterpart Maher Jammal, "Hopefully, we can rehabilitate the network of the Syrian - Iraqi pipeline within few months. At the beginning its capacity will be limited estimated at 700,000 barrels every day."

He added, "Our brothers in Syria think of building a new pipe line. We have supported the idea. We will make the necessary studies to build such a pipeline, whose costs will be borne by the two countries."