Lebanon on the eve of Washington’s meetings: The file of reforms is incomplete!

Lebanon is participating in the joint spring meetings of the Monetary Fund and the World Bank scheduled for April 21, 2025 to 26 in Washington, and the official Lebanese delegation is preparing for “appearing” in front of the fund’s officials and submitting its report on the reforms taken by the government, and what is preparing to complete it according to the demands of the fund that it previously received.

The margins in front of the delegation are not great, and the Fund’s decision will not be resolved to assist Lebanon, as the reform march required is still in its beginnings, and the government and with it the House of Representatives have not yet completed their “hypotheses”.

The delegation will have to discuss the content of the reforms that have been completed and those expected, to resolve a file that is still pressing the Lebanese government, young, and on the financial and banking sectors, related to the deposit crisis and the fund’s tendency to not hold the state any responsibility to return it, and some even support the approach to deleting a large portion of it.

Actually, the Lebanese delegation is ready for discussion in this matter in particular, and it has its perception to restore deposits, without selling the state’s assets or exhausting the budget with any long -term financial obligations, while the negotiating path that the delegation will take on the fate of the bonds of the Europonds.

The Minister of Finance stated that there will be no meetings with holders of international bonds in Washington meetings, which some have interpreted that there is no final decision by the Lebanese government or the fund about its fate, although Jaber made it clear that the Lebanese officials hope to meet its holders during the next 12 months to discuss the restructuring of the debt.