Lebanon agrees with Iraq to swap medical expertise for oil

Lebanon agrees with Iraq to swap medical expertise for oil

BEIRUT – Officials from Beirut and Baghdad signed a preliminary agreement Friday that would see Lebanon trade its medical expertise for Iraqi fuel supplies, Lebanese state media reported.

Lebanon's state-run electricity company faces dire cash shortages as the country grapples with its worst economic crisis since the 1975-1990 civil war.

Oil-rich Iraq, which has seen Covid-19 cases soar in recent weeks, suffers from a chronic lack of drugs and medical care, and decades of war and poor investment have left its hospitals in bad shape.

Caretaker Health Minister Hamad Hassan and his Iraqi counterpart Hassan al-Tamimi signed “a framework agreement… that includes (the supply of) oil in exchange for medical and hospital services,” Lebanon's National News Agency (NNA) said.

Under the accord, inked in Beirut, Lebanon would receive 500,000 tonnes of Iraqi oil annually, or a sixth of its needs, caretaker Lebanese Energy Minister Raymond Ghajar said.

Hassan said the agreement included cooperation in training and hospital administration, with Lebanese experts and specialised teams to be involved in managing new facilities in Iraq.

Lebanese officials made no secret of their desire to strengthen cooperation with Iraq in various fields. Parliament Speaker Nabih Berri described the most recent agreement as a lifeline for Lebanon. This comes as