Salameh Begins Ministerial Delegation Meetings in Washington with IMF and World Bank

The Lebanese ministerial delegation, led by Prime Minister Nawaf Salam and including Finance Minister Yassine Jaber and Energy and Water Minister Joe Saddi, began its meetings in Washington with senior officials from the World Bank Group and the International Monetary Fund (IMF), as part of a visit focused on supporting the reform path and enhancing cooperation with these international institutions.

The Ministry of Finance clarified in a statement that "Monday's program begins at the World Bank Group headquarters with a working meeting at 12:00 noon Washington time with Executive Director Abdel Aziz Al-Mulla, followed at 1:15 PM by a meeting with the Vice President of the International Finance Corporation for the Middle East and Central Asia, Emad Fakhouri, and the Vice President of the Multilateral Investment Guarantee Agency for Operations, Junaid Kamal Ahmad."

It noted that at 2:00 PM, the delegation will hold a meeting with Valérie Levkowitz, Vice President for Infrastructure at the World Bank Group. Ministers Jaber and Saddi are scheduled to join Prime Minister Nawaf Salam at 3:00 PM for his meeting with World Bank Group President Ajay Banga, attended by Lebanon's Ambassador to Washington, Nada Hamadeh.

A notable addition to the visit's schedule is a meeting between Prime Minister Salam and Minister Jaber with US Treasury Secretary Scott Bessent at 4:00 PM today, Monday.

Tomorrow, Tuesday, the delegation will meet at 10:30 AM with IMF Managing Director Kristalina Georgieva in a session expected to address the financial and banking reform path and the steps required to advance negotiations between Lebanon and the Fund.

Finance Minister Yassine Jaber had told the "Voice of Finance" platform on the eve of the visit that the Washington meetings aim to activate the agreement track with the IMF and strengthen partnership with the World Bank, leveraging the reform steps accomplished by Lebanon, most notably the approval of the law restructuring the banking sector, alongside work to complete the financial gap law.

Jaber affirmed that the goal is to progress in the negotiation track with the IMF toward a Staff-Level Agreement, while also developing cooperation with the World Bank and securing more support and funding for vital projects needed by Lebanon, particularly in the energy, water, reconstruction, digital transformation, and social safety net sectors.