From left to right: Finance Minister Yassine Jaber, World Bank Middle East division director Jean-Christophe Carret, and the new World Bank director for Lebanon Enrique Blanco Armas. (Credit: NNA.)
BEIRUT — Finance Minister Yassine Jaber hosted the new World Bank director for Lebanon, Enrique Blanco Armas, at his ministry on Friday. Blanco Armas' appointment was announced on Tuesday.
Jean-Christophe Carret, director of the Middle East division of the World Bank — responsible for Lebanon, Syria, Jordan, Iraq, and Iran, attended the meeting, which focused on several World Bank-funded projects, particularly in the fields of electricity and agriculture.
"Cooperation with the World Bank continues, and other areas remain open for collaboration in the future," said the minister.
Armas, who recently arrived in Beirut, was appointed following an internal reorganization of the World Bank. Subordinate to Jean-Christophe Carret, who will be based again in Amman, Armas now manages the Lebanese office, which is dependent on the World Bank Group institutions, namely the International Bank for Reconstruction and Development (IBRD), the International Development Association (IDA), the International Finance Corporation (IFC), and the Multilateral Investment Guarantee Agency (MIGA).
"His new role will unify leadership at the national level across the institution's different branches to foster sustainable recovery and development while creating jobs through support for public and private sector priorities. Based in Beirut, Blanco Armas will lead the World Bank Group's engagement in Lebanon, which includes close collaboration with government officials, the private sector, civil society, and development partners," the organization explained in a statement.
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