Lebanese Prime Minister Nawaf Salam and Finance Minister Yassine Jaber met with International Monetary Fund (IMF) Managing Director Kristalina Georgieva at the Fund’s headquarters in Washington, in the presence of Lebanon’s Ambassador to the United States, Nada Hamadeh.
The meeting focused on the ongoing negotiations between Lebanon and the IMF, progress made in implementing financial and banking reforms, and the measures required to reach an agreement with the Fund.
Both sides agreed that an IMF delegation would visit Lebanon following the IMF and World Bank Annual Meetings to resume negotiations and advance discussions toward reaching an agreement.
During the meeting, Prime Minister Salam reaffirmed the government’s commitment to pursuing reforms and completing the necessary legislative and administrative measures to address financial and banking sector imbalances.
He also stressed the government’s readiness to cooperate with Parliament to secure the adoption of the Financial Gap Law, following the approval of the Banking Sector Restructuring Law.
Salam further emphasized the government’s determination to strengthen public financial management, improve governance and transparency, and implement the reforms needed to rebuild a sound banking sector and restore confidence in Lebanon’s economy.
For her part, Georgieva congratulated the Lebanese government on the progress achieved in its reform agenda, commending its performance in public financial management and budget preparation, as well as the measures taken to restructure the banking sector and strengthen fiscal discipline.
She reiterated the IMF’s readiness to continue working closely with the Lebanese government, building on the progress made to move negotiations forward.
Both parties underscored the importance of accelerating efforts in the coming period to reach an agreement that establishes a solid foundation for Lebanon’s financial and economic recovery and helps restore confidence in the Lebanese economy.
