An-Nahar
quoted a high-ranking Russian diplomat on Wednesday as confirming that the
French draft statement on Syria might be approved, refusing to reveal Moscow’s
objections to the new formula.
However, the
diplomat confirmed that Russia has no objection to the 6 points included in
Annan’s proposal.
Permanent
Representative of France to the United Nations, Gérard Araud, had earlier told
An-Nahar that there is still a dispute over the political approach that should
be adopted to back up Annan’s plan.
Speaking on
condition of anonymity, a western diplomat said that “slight amendments” were
introduced to Anan’s draft statement, adding that the French envoy will
circulate a draft resolution that includes these amendments which he described
as “normal and usual in any negotiation at the U.N. table.”
Speaker
Nabih Berri told
An-Nahar that there is no justification for any delay in the
formation of an oil sector board.
Berri added
that if the state of “stagnation” continues at the cabinet he will take actions
in this regard for “it is unacceptable that they sit watching as their land and
maritime oil and gas wealth is being wasted while Israel, on the other side, is
exerting assiduous efforts to leverage this wealth.”
Berri told
the daily that dozens of foreign companies, latest of which was from Brazil,
have shown willingness to drill for oil, adding that some of them have
conducted a series of economic feasibility study in this respect.
The cabinet
will hold today an ordinary session to discuss 73 items on its agenda.
The main
focus of the session is expected to be the issuance of a decree to form an oil
sector board.
As-Safir
daily learnt from sources following up closely on the oil issue that there are
concerns about the hindrance of the issuance of the decree today due to
difference in views between PM Najib Mikati and Energy Minister Gebran Bassil.
In addition,
the daily reported that the draft law on amending the last paragraph of the
fourth article of the nationality law which was enacted in 1925, to allow the
Lebanese woman to grant her nationality to her children, is also included in the
cabinet agenda.
Official
sources voiced fear over a lack of political agreement over the draft law,
especially at the Christian level, so that it could be referred to the
ministerial committee for discussion and for an indefinite period of time.
The
parliament’s general authority will convene on Wednesday to resume discussions
of its agenda after the previous session was met with a lack of quorum when the
March 14 MPs withdrew from the session.
The
reduction of the prison sentence and the issue of transportation allowance top
the session agenda.
In this
context, Future MP Nabil De Freij confirmed to
An-Nahar that a consensual
formula combining his own draft law with that of Change and Reform bloc MP
Ibrahim Kanaan was reached after it was prepared under the request of Speaker
Nabih Berri to be presented today to the general authority.