Lebanese Prime Minister Najib Mikati delivering a speech at the COP26 climate summit in Glasgow on Nov. 2, 2021. (Source: Daniel Leal-Olivas /AFP)
BEIRUT — Prime Minister Najib Mikati resumed discussions on Thursday to finalize an economic recovery plan that will rely on international support, amid an economic collapse that has extended over two years. The premier met at the Grand Serail with representatives of the United Nations, the European Union and the World Bank.
Here's what we know:
• In a statement released by Mikati’s office, the European Union's ambassador to Lebanon, Ralph Tarraf, praised Mikati for returning from the COP26 climate conference in Glasgow with a “desire to make progress” in the financial sector.
• Tarraf added that the three international organizations had expressed their support for Mikati and discussed convening a joint meeting of a consultative group organized by the UN, EU and World Bank “under the supervision of the Prime Minister and with the participation of donor countries, civil society organizations and the government, to discuss several dossiers, including the country’s reconstruction, recovery and reforms.”
• During his visit to COP26 climate conference, PM Mikati also spoke with the president of the World Bank, David Malpass, and representatives of the European Investment Bank about the financial crisis that has dragged on in Lebanon since 2019 and the potential means to remedy it.