Jaber rallies support in Bangkok: $1 billion and decisive negotiations

The Lebanese delegation to the annual meetings of the IMF and the World Bank Group in Bangkok, headed by Finance Minister Yassin Jaber, is continuing its meetings with officials of both institutions to discuss the reform path and Lebanon's financing needs. Jaber met IMF Managing Director Kristalina Georgieva, who expressed satisfaction with the seriousness she sensed from the Lebanese government. He also discussed with the International Finance Corporation and the World Bank Group, alongside Economy Minister Amer Bisat, expanding private-sector financing and public-private partnership projects in the energy and airport sectors, with projects under preparation worth about $1 billion, including nearly $900 million in partnership projects. Jaber pointed to the damage caused by the conflict in southern Lebanon and displacement and their impact on the economy, and presented the government's plan for the return of Syrian refugees.