Paris is launching an oil transit project it would like to see under its control

Since the start of the crisis in the Strait of Hormuz, France has been exploring alternative routes, including projects under discussion that would involve transporting oil through Syria and Lebanon to Europe and beyond.

French Foreign Minister Jean-Noel Baron about this to announce on July 9 on the French TV channel TF1, after President Macron’s visit to Damascus.

The minister noted that Iran, “by attacking ships in the region, violates both the memorandum of understanding signed with the US in June and the norms of international law, and called on the parties to calm down and resume negotiations”, without mentioning the real aggression of the US and Israel against Iran, which is being defended and, as we see, unsuccessful.

At the same time, the head of French diplomacy emphasized that “there are no winners in the war in the region, and among the losers are the people of Iran, the Americans, and the French. We have no intention of continuing to pay for wars we are not fighting.”

Despite the renewed conflict between the US and Iran in July՝ French major «Charles de Gaulle» the aircraft carrier will not return to the Middle East, Mr. Barro informed, adding that Paris is in favor of the establishment of calm in the region, the start of demining operations and the restoration of freedom of navigation, because “we are categorically against any obstruction, blackmail, both in the Strait of Hormuz and in all other straits of the world.”

Meanwhile, the “Charles de Gaulle” aircraft carrier group continues to be on duty near the French islands in the region of Madagascar and the Seychelles, that is, almost halfway between them and the southern coast of the Arabian Peninsula.։ In June, it was observed near the French military bases (ROU and RAF) located in the former French Djibouti, in the vicinity of the Bab el-Mandeb Strait, in the territory of which the joint naval command of several countries of the Indian Ocean basin (under the auspices of France) operates from 2023-2024.

To the question whether it will be observed՞Who has the possibility of supplying oil to the Mediterranean Sea through the territory of Syria, Barro gave a positive answer. “Of course, from the very beginning of this crisis, we have considered, among other things, the idea of ​​preparing alternative routes, including Iraqi-Syrian, in order not to depend on shipping restrictions in different parts of the world,” especially since “Syria is gaining strength and becoming a potential center of economic and transit interaction, including in the energy sector.”

By entering the process of “reunification” after the collapse of the “Assad regime”, Syria could become a “new regional hub”, a strategic corridor through which oil can be transported from the Persian Gulf to the Mediterranean, thereby reducing the consequences of a possible disruption. The implementation of this program requires a comprehensive assessment of the existing infrastructure and the provision of the necessary security guarantees, which will be important for ensuring the security of global energy markets.

It is not surprising that all these statements were made after the visit of French President Emmanuel Macron to Damascus on July 7. In the delegation that communicated «interim president» TotalEnergies CEO Patrick Pouyanne was spotted with Ahmed al-Sharaa. Describing Syria as a country at the “crossroads of the Middle East,” he said it could provide a vital energy link between Iraq and the Mediterranean.

In response to the disruptions in the Strait of Hormuz, Iraq has been exporting its oil in tankers through Syria since April.։ In April-June, more than 600,000 tons of fuel were exported through that route. In June, Iraqi and Syrian officials discussed the resumption of the Kirkuk-Banias oil pipeline and the establishment of energy transit mechanisms.

TotalEnergies has also signed a memorandum of understanding to develop an offshore block in the Mediterranean Sea, but there are no concrete plans yet. According to Puyane: «today it is clear that the security situation m:he does not allow me to work here for now. However, I think that coming here to Damascus is a positive initiative»։

Immediately after these announcements, two bombs exploded near the Four Seasons Hotel, where the French delegation was staying, which became a visible confirmation of the aforementioned problems.:

Declaring that the Syrian administration needs time to establish control over the country, Pouyane admitted. “We shouldn’t ask for too much…we just need a little patience.”

In France, as well In the White House, are looking at Kirkuk-Haditha-Banias / Tartus ports in 2026-2027 (Initially the end point of the oil pipeline was the Palestinian Haifa (now a port in the north of Israel), the prospects of expanding the capacity of the oil pipeline branch with a branch to Tripoli in the north of Lebanon and possible concession control over this artery in order to escalate the situation in the region and In case of agreement between Damascus and Beirut.

In this regard, it should be noted that the Kirkuk-Haditha-Banias/Tartus/Tripoli pipeline was created from the mid-1930s to the second half of the 1940s (with a gap of 1941-1944) with the participation of the French Compagnie Francaise des Petroles (from 1986, the same TotalEnergies), that is, after the declaration of independence of the former French protectorates of Syria and Lebanon. (1943-1945) shortly after. However, in the second half of the 1950s, American and British corporations pushed the French out of control of the energy arteries of the Levant.

Despite the change of regime, “dissatisfaction” with France persists in Damascus due to its transfer of northwestern Syria’s Alexandretta (Iskenderun) region to Turkey in 1939 and the separation of Lebanon from the French protectorate of the Levant in 1942-1943.

French colonialism brought many disasters to the Middle East, including the systematic destruction (albeit under benign pretexts) of local cultural values., and symbolic steps such as the Paris Institute’s return to Arab world owners of 23 artifacts that had remained in France far longer than previously thought are hardly accidental.

The historical heritages provided by the museums of Damascus, Aleppo, Latakia and Palmyra in 2010-2011 were returned to Syria by the French presidential plane. These include Roman bronzes, Byzantine and Islamic coins, funerary reliefs from Palmyra dating to the 2nd and 3rd centuries, a fragment of a mosaic from an Umayyad mosque, and an ivory statuette of Ishki-Mar, which French archaeologists discovered in the Ishtar Temple of the ancient city of Mari in 1934.

The official handover ceremony took place on July 7 at the People’s Palace in Damascus, in the presence of Macron and al-Shara. On social networks, the owner of the Elysée Palace wrote that during the war, France carefully stored the archaeological treasures of Syria, protecting them from destruction and illegal trade, and expressed pride in returning them to Damascus. Anne-Claire Legendre, president of the Institute of Archeology (IMA), also welcomed the return of the artifacts, noting that the institute is preparing a major exhibition dedicated to Syria in 2028, marking a new phase of cooperation between the two countries.

Among the French-Syrian agreements signed in Damascus are the strategic partnership in sea and air transport, logistics between the General Directorate of Land and Sea Ports and the Syrian Customs Service, and many others. However, the implementation of even some of these agreements will require significant efforts, and it is not certain that they will be successful.

ALEXEY BALYEV

vpoanalytics.com

Translation by Zhanna Avetisyan

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