Williams Warns of Lost Opportunities in Cabinet Impasse
U.N. Special Coordinator for Lebanon Michael Williams warned that opportunities would be lost and the country would face bigger dangers amid a continued deadlock on the new cabinet.
Williams told An Nahar daily in remarks published on Tuesday that his meetings with top Lebanese officials and calls for speeding up the formation of the new government came over fears that “opportunities would be lost and the dangers would become bigger.”
He stressed that the formation of the government is necessary for “security reasons” too.
On Monday, Williams met with Caretaker Energy Minister Jebran Bassil.
“I think on the question of the formation of the government, we were agreed that it would be good for Lebanon and its people if a government is formed as quickly as possible,” he said.
“There are many issues that a new government needs to tackle and to make progress on. One of those issues is the question of maritime resources, the possibility of oil and gas off the shores of Lebanon,” Williams told reporters.
He told An Nahar that major progress was made on the withdrawal of Israeli troops from the northern part of the border village of Ghajar, saying the new Lebanese cabinet would receive “the gift of the Israeli pullout” after reaching an agreement on this regard.
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