President Joseph Aoun (center) during his meeting with the IMF delegation led by Ernesto Ramirez-Rigo, on March 12, 2025. Photo published on the X account of the Presidency of the Republic.
At the end of last week following the four-day visit of an International Monetary Fund delegation to Beirut, optimism was palpable. The IMF "welcomed the authorities' request for a new IMF-supported program to support their efforts," according to a statement by mission chief Ernesto Ramirez-Rigo. Sources at the Economy Ministry said the goal is to reach a preliminary agreement before summer to enter the implementation phase of the required reforms.However, beyond the official green light, little has changed. There has been no concrete progress on core issues, and many questions remain unanswered about how Beirut plans to overcome obstacles that have so far proven insurmountable. "We are still at the same point we were in 2020, awaiting the resumption of negotiations next April," said one participant in the...
At the end of last week following the four-day visit of an International Monetary Fund delegation to Beirut, optimism was palpable. The IMF "welcomed the authorities' request for a new IMF-supported program to support their efforts," according to a statement by mission chief Ernesto Ramirez-Rigo. Sources at the Economy Ministry said the goal is to reach a preliminary agreement before summer to enter the implementation phase of the required reforms.However, beyond the official green light, little has changed. There has been no concrete progress on core issues, and many questions remain unanswered about how Beirut plans to overcome obstacles that have so far proven insurmountable. "We are still at the same point we were in 2020, awaiting the resumption of negotiations next April," said one participant in the...