REPORT: Cabinet approves licenses to start exploratory drilling

The Cabinet approved on Thursday licenses for three oil companies to start exploratory drilling in Lebanon.

 

The Cabinet also on Thursday formed a ministerial committee presided by Prime Minister Saad Hariri to examine Foreign Minister Gebran Bassil's proposal to open a Lebanese Embassy in Jerusalem.

 

On another note, the ministers endorsed a plan to expand the Dbayeh-Oqaibeh highway.

At the beginning at the session that was held at the Baabda Palace and headed by President Michel Aoun, the president stressed the need for Arab countries to take an unified Arab stance in rejecting US President Donald Trump’s decision over Jerusalem.

  

For his part, Prime Minister Saad Hariri that the Lebanese people know how to defend their lands and sovereignty and does not need “any volunteers” to do so.

 

“We must prevent any outside party from interfering in the affairs of Lebanon or the use of Lebanese territory as a platform to direct regional messages,” Hariri added.

The closing statement of the statement reiterated rejection to the US decision over Jerusalem, calling on Trump to backtrack on his decision.

 

The statement also called on the political parties to put pressure on the US administration to withdraw its decision.