Lebanon: Cesar Abi Khalil, new Minister of Energy and Water

Cesar Abi Khalil will be heading the Ministry of Energy and Water over the next few months. A member of the Free Patriotic Movement (FPM) and long-time advisor to former Minister of Energy and Water Gebran Bassil, he accompanied the sector’s development since 2009 when its bases were being laid, and contributed to devising the Policy Paper for the Electricity Sector. A relevant experience which make up for the absence of a direct technical background in the field. Once again, the keyword for the coming period is continuity. Whereas the previous Minister, Arthur Nazarian, was “only” an ally to Gebran Bassil’s FPM, Abi Khalil is an official member and a close aide and confident of Bassil. This will help running the Ministry’s affairs smoothly and efficiently over the next few months.