The United States will push for a quick delivery of aid recently pledged to Syrian refugees in Lebanon and other countries, a U.S. official said, according to a statement from President Michel Sleiman Tuesday.
U.S. Deputy Assistant Secretary (DAS) for the Bureau of Near East Affairs Lawrence Silverman said his country will continue talks with relevant countries to implement the $1 billion pledge made during a donor conference in Kuwait on Jan. 30 to provide assistance for Syrian refugees in the region.
A delegation of officials from the United States arrived in Lebanon Sunday overnight for talks with senior Lebanese officials and met with President Michel Sleiman Tuesday.
Lebanon has appealed to the Arab League and the international donor countries for some $200 million to help the government cope with the rising number of Syrian refugees in the country, which has exceeded 300,000 since the beginning of the uprising against President Bashar Assad.
With no end to the violence in Syria in sight, the U.N. said Sunday that refugee numbers, already over a million, could double or triple by the end of the year.
A statement from the president’s office said that during the talks, attended by U.S. Ambassador to Lebanon Maura Connelly, Silverman reiterated U.S. support for Lebanon in different sectors.
Along with Silverman, the delegation includes Deputy Assistant Secretary for Energy Diplomacy at the U.S. Department of State, Amos J Hochstein.
Silverman said his country will keep up military aid to the Lebanese Army and stressed commitment to cooperation with Lebanon.
According to the statement, talks also addressed the issue of gas and oil recently discovered in Lebanon’s offshore and the facilities that can be provided by the United States in this area.
On their three-day official visit, the delegation is also set to meet with Prime Minister Najib Mikati, Parliament Speaker Nabih Berri and senior party leaders.
Recent surveys have showed that Lebanon has gas reserves off its southern and northern coast. However, actual gas exploration off the coast is expected start in 2017.
The U.S. delegation headed by Lawrence also met with Speaker Nabih Berri and discussed Lebanon’s maritime borders and investment in oil and gas resources in its territorial waters and its Special Economic Zone.
Lebanon and Israel both lay claim to roughly 850 square kilometers of sea that is said to be rich in natural gas resources. The U.S. has said it would help resolve the issue.
A delegation from the Army's leadership headed by Brig. Gen. Abdel-Rahman Shahaytili joined the meeting later and discussed the mechanism and techniques taken by the Army in demarcating the maritime borders and the Special Economic Zone according to international standards and treaties.
