The Border and Vital Installations Security Conference (BVIS 2023) was a great success with a full house. The conference welcomed a high-level list of attendees, including ministers and members of parliaments. Personalities such as the Minister of Interior Bassam Mawlawi and the Minister of Energy Walid Fayad made an appearance, in addition to the UNIFL commander and other senior LAF officers and academics who were in attendance.

The conference kicked off by a welcome speech by the Director of RSCC, Brigadier General Mansour Zougheib, who emphasized the importance of the conference topic and thanked the LAF Commander General Joseph Aoun for his patronage. The keynote address was delivered by General Aoun where he affirmed the commitment of the military establishment to Lebanon’s security, and to provide within its available capabilities all that is needed to ensure the safety and security of the future exploration and excavation of oil and gas in the Lebanese territorial and exclusive economic zone waters.

Five panels took turns over five sessions, tackling various topics related to safety and security of offshore oil and gas facilities. Topics spanned from what the best practices for health, safety, security, and environment (HSSE) in the oil and gas sector are, to how interagency cooperation can help ensure safety and security in offshore oil and gas operations. These sessions provided a unique opportunity for in-depth discussions and collaborations among relevant stakeholders, and the chance to address the complex challenges associated with this critical sector.

Additionally, the key stakeholders such as the representatives from the two main energy companies involved in the exploration in the Lebanese waters, Total Energies and Eni participated highly in the discussions. As the conference drew to a close, a list of recommendations was announced, which will be raised to the concerned leadership inside and outside Lebanon. These recommendations pave the way to how the Lebanese government and military establishment could implement these better practices and initiatives presented by the panel to accomplish a variety of objectives. One ultimately being the crucial challenges surrounding the safeguarding of Lebanon’s maritime borders amidst the oil and gas explorations to commence.