ISTANBUL

Iraq agreed on Saturday to supply Lebanon with fuel for six months and reiterated its commitment to contributing to the country’s reconstruction following the Israeli war.

In a statement, Iraqi Prime Minister Mohammed Shia al-Sudani held talks over the phone with Lebanese Parliament Speaker Nabih Berri.

Sudani informed the Lebanese speaker of his approval “to grant an exemption to the Iraqi Ministry of Oil to supply Lebanon with fuel for six months,” the statement said.

The Iraqi premier affirmed his country’s support for “Lebanon’s security and stability’ and reiterated commitment to “contributing to the country's reconstruction.”

According to the same statement, Berri thanked the Iraqi premier for supporting Lebanon and its sovereignty and stressed his keenness to maintain communication with Iraq across various sectors.

Iraq and Lebanon signed an agreement in 2021 under which Baghdad agreed to supply Beirut with fuel in exchange for Lebanon providing services, including healthcare, to Iraqi citizens.

Over the past couple of years, the frequency of power outages in Lebanon has significantly increased due to the government's financial distress, which led to its inability to provide foreign currency to import fuel.

Lebanon's power production earlier ranged between 1,600 and 2,000 megawatts daily, but the fuel shortage in recent years has gradually reduced production to unprecedentedly low levels.