Lebanese Prime Minister Meets IMF Official to Discuss Economic Challenges

Doha: Lebanese Prime Minister Nawaf Salam met Wednesday with Director of the Middle East and Central Asia Department at the International Monetary Fund (IMF) Jihad Azour during his visit to Beirut. Salam and Azour discussed the evolving economic situation in the region, particularly the fallout from the war on Middle Eastern economies. According to Qatar News Agency, the meeting reviewed recent IMF reports indicating that Lebanon's GDP could contract due to the repercussions of repeated conflicts and security pressures, creating extremely difficult living and humanitarian conditions. Both sides addressed unlocking future prospects to strengthen the recovery track, as Lebanon aims to advance talks on a comprehensive overhaul funding program that would help realign general financial policies and bridge economic gaps.