Connelly Welcomes Cabinet's Efforts towards Refugees, Keeping Border Open

U.S. Ambassador to Lebanon Maura Connelly welcomed on Friday the Lebanese cabinet's decision of maintaining an open border with Syria, saluting its adoption of a “comprehensive plan” to meet the needs of refugees.

“We praise the government's continuous efforts to abide by its international obligations towards refugees,” Connelly said in a statement released after she met with Energy Minister Jebran Bassil.

Connelly recognized the need for international assistance for the humanitarian crisis created by increased refugee flow, restating the American “commitment to respond positively in addressing the needs of Syrian displaced and the communities that host them”.

The Office of the United Nations High Commissioner for Refugees announced in December that the number of Syrian refugees in Lebanon has reached 170,637, among them 126,724 registered refugees and 43,913 scheduled to be registered.

The Lebanese cabinet had voted on Thursday to adopt a three-part plan to tackle the influx of refugees from war-torn Syria. The plan will involve registration -- which means the counting of refugees -- medical and food aid, and the security and social consequences.

The U.S. Ambassador also discussed matters of the Ministry of Energy with Bassil, congratulating him on the formation of the Petroleum Administration.

"We encourage the Ministry’s commitment to implement fair and transparent regulations to develop the energy and water sectors,” she expressed.

The cabinet passed in December 2012 the regulations at the petroleum authority after having approved on November 27 its six members, in an effort to speed up the exploitation of Lebanon's offshore oil wealth.

The formation of the Petroleum Authority in November was the first major step in future oil exploration since parliament passed a law in 2011 setting the country's maritime boundary and Exclusive Economic Zone.