From left to right: French diplomat in charge of coordinating international support for Lebanon, Pierre Duquesne, Nabil Fahed, president of the supermarket owners' union and former Minister Mohammad Choucair, during a meeting in Beirut, July 18 2022. (Credit: DR)
BEIRUT — The French diplomat in charge of coordinating international support for Lebanon, Pierre Duquesne, who arrived in Beirut on Monday, began visiting Lebanese senior officials on Wednesday evening.
Here’s what we know:
• Duquesne stressed the need for officials to “move forward”with regard to the preliminary agreement reached with the International Monetary Fund during his meeting with Prime Minister-designate Najib Mikati Wednesday evening.
• Duquesne also highlighted the need to “move forward at the level of what has been concluded with the IMF and to concentrate on the measures which would make it possible to revive the Lebanese economy.”
• The diplomat insisted on the need to implement “the conditions imposed by the IMF” so that the preliminary agreement, announced on April 7 and which relates to an aid plan of $3 billion over four years, be converted into a definitive agreement.
• He also called for “passing certain essential laws, such as the draft budget, capital control, the restructuring of the banking sector and the lifting of banking secrecy.”
• On Thursday morning, the diplomat met with President Michel Aoun at the Baabda Palace.
• Aoun assured Duquesne that Lebanon will “continue working to implement the necessary reforms in order to continue negotiations with the International Monetary Fund.”
• “We will encourage donor countries and international institutions to support Lebanon in order to improve the state of infrastructure, which should help create more jobs and limit emigration,” Duquesne said, according to remarks reported by the Lebanese Presidency on Twitter.
• Duquesne, accompanied by the French Ambassador to Lebanon, Anne Grillo, also met Parliament Speaker Nabih Berri.
• Duquesne, who is scheduled to remain in Beirut until Friday, has already met with caretaker Minister of Economy Amin Salam and Economic Bodies, an organization chaired by the businessman and former minister Mohammad Choucair.