EFE Interview: Restaurar el sector energético en Siria, una titánica tarea para la reconstrucción

Gulfsands Managing Director John Bell spoke to Isaac J. Martín, Middle East Deputy Bureau Chief at Agencia EFE, a leading global newswire, last week and was quoted at length in his latest published piece, syndicated by various leading international publications.

They discussed how the reconstruction of Syria’s energy sector is a daunting task, but it is also a vital one. The country’s recovery, and meeting the Syrian people’s urgent humanitarian needs, depends on a more reliable and affordable energy supply.

As Khaled Abudi, Director-General of Syria’s General Corporation for Electricity Transmission and Distribution, says in this article, historic international sanctions are “a fundamental obstacle” to the restoration of Syria’s electricity system. That is Gulfsands is strongly supportive of international efforts to ease sanctions on Syria so that international companies – such as ours – can return to operations and bring with them foreign direct investment, and much needed technical expertise, to help revitalise the energy sector.

We have always stated our intention to return to operations in Syria when circumstances allow, and we are absolutely ready to engage with the new Syrian leadership on this critical matter. Our priorities are the same: help Syria and the Syrian people get back on their feet and construct a peaceful, sustainable future.

None of this can happen however if the oil fields continue to be operated unlawfully and haphazardly by the likes of the People’s Defense Unit (YPG), as they have been for much of the period since 2017, with billions of dollars in revenue disappearing into the black market rather than benefitting the Syrian people.

Instead, we need to see international energy companies with their technical know-how, human resources and much need capital, working closely with reinforced central Syrian institutions to rebuild Syria’s indigenous energy sector and meet the drastic need for fuel and revenue.

https://www.swissinfo.ch/spa/restaurar-el-sector-energ%C3%A9tico-en-siria%2C-una-tit%C3%A1nica-tarea-para-la-reconstrucci%C3%B3n/88807270