Lebanese Public Works and Transport Minister Youssef Fenianos has announced plans to build an international port in south Lebanon’s coastal town of Naqoura. Granting licenses for international companies to carry out exploratory drilling off the Lebanese coast in the so-called block 9 necessitates the presence of a maritime base to serve oil and gas exploration, and transportation, Fenianos said on Thursday. The proposed area of Naqoura, which is the southernmost point on the Lebanese coast, is close to Block 9, he told a news conference. Fenianos said the port would alleviate traffic on coastal roads from trucks transporting goods to and from Beirut. The minister urged businessman and private companies to take part in “this promising project.” Lebanon has said it will go ahead with oil and gas exploration in Block 9 near its maritime border with Israel, despite Israeli claims to the field.