27 Dec 2020; MEMO: Lebanese MP Hussein Hajj Hassan has revealed that Lebanon "hesitates" to renew its electricity contract with Syria, fearing sanctions stipulated by the US Caesar Act, Anadolu Agency reported on Friday.
The MP, who is a member of Hezbollah's parliamentarian bloc, affirmed: "We are importing electricity from Syria to support the entire Lebanese electricity grid, but unfortunately, after the Caesar Act, some officials in Lebanon got frightened."
He reiterated: "Importing electricity from Syria is a need for Lebanon because electricity production in Lebanon is not enough."
Hajj Hassan's remarks came during a visit of a delegation from the town of Al-Tufail on the border with Syria, who complained about electricity blackouts. "The problem is not only in Tufail, but in Lebanon as a whole," he explained.
The Caesar Act is a US legislation that sanctions the Syrian regime, including President Bashar Al-Assad, for war crimes against the Syrian population. The act was signed into law by US President Donald Trump in December 2019, and came into force on 17 June, 2020.
Hajj Hassan indicated: "Lebanon is hesitant to renew the contract with Syria, and is not paying its dues, because of the confusion in its internal and regional Lebanese policies, and the fear of unjustified sanctions from American arrogance dominating the world."
