BEIRUT, Oct. 8 (Xinhua) -- A delegation from Germany's Siemens arrived in Beirut on Monday to discuss the challenges facing Lebanon's electricity sector with caretaker Energy Minister Cesar Abi Khalil, a local news agency reported.
The delegation will conduct week-long negotiations with the Lebanese minister and is expected to submit an offer for the construction of power stations in Lebanon, Lebanon Debate said.
The delegation came following an audio going viral online, in which the lawmaker Yassin Jaber claimed the government refused an offer by Siemens to build power stations in Lebanon to solve the electricity crisis.
Abi Khalil, however, later denied receiving such an offer from Siemens.
Last month, Joe Kaeser, CEO of Siemens AG, confirmed in a tweet that Siemens did offer to help address Lebanon's electricity crisis during German Chancellor Angela Merkel's visit to Beirut in June.
Lack of electricity has plagued Lebanon for many years, as the government is incapable of generating the needed amount of power.
Successive governments failed over the years to build power stations to solve the electricity crisis in Lebanon, which costs the country about 2 billion U.S. dollars yearly.
