BEIRUT — Lebanese President Joseph Aoun said Thursday he asked Qatar to “increase its investments in Lebanon” during a visit this week to the Gulf state, as the country continues to grapple with a deep economic crisis and the fallout from the ongoing war between Hezbollah and Israel, the state-run National News Agency reported.

Aoun said a Qatari delegation is scheduled to visit Beirut next week to discuss Lebanon’s electricity crisis. He also urged Qatar to “accelerate gas drilling operations.”

The president described his meeting with Qatari Emir Sheikh Tamim bin Hamad al-Thani as “fruitful and excellent,” adding that the emir expressed a willingness to support Lebanon’s military.

Aoun noted that countries backing Lebanon are focused on reforms and praised the government’s adoption of a banking sector reform bill, which he signed and sent to Parliament.

On Saturday, the Cabinet approved the bill aimed at restructuring Lebanon’s banking sector. Banks have continued to impose informal capital controls on depositors since the economic collapse began in 2019. The government has submitted a new request for financial assistance from the International Monetary Fund, which has emphasized the urgency of adopting the reform bill. The IMF has also urged Parliament to pass a law amending banking secrecy, already approved by the Cabinet, to remove a key obstacle to banking reform.

Last week, Qatar’s Minister of Education, Sheikha Loulwa bint Rashid al-Khater, visited Beirut and said her country is “determined to cooperate” with Lebanon and support it in the aftermath of the Hezbollah-Israel war.

Qatar has long positioned itself as a reliable partner for Lebanon, becoming one of the main supporters of the Lebanese army and offering rapid financial aid during times of crisis, including following the twin explosions at the port of Beirut on Aug. 4, 2020.