Former Economy Minister from Washington: US deems Lebanon a top priority for first time in 60 years

Former Economy Minister Raed Khoury revealed that U.S. interest in Lebanon reached an unprecedented level, describing it as a "very high priority" following a series of meetings with senior American officials in Washington.

Khoury quoted a top U.S. official saying, "Lebanon today constitutes an exceptional priority for the United States—something that has not happened in 60 years."

According to Khoury, the U.S. administration has set a firm timeline for the Lebanese state to address two critical issues. 

The first concerns Hezbollah and its weapons, particularly the implementation of U.N. Security Council Resolution 1701, which has largely been applied south of the Litani River. The current focus, he said, is on extending that implementation north of the Litani, with a deadline set for September.

The second issue, which Khoury described as an even higher priority for Washington, pertains to Lebanon's financial and banking crisis. He stressed the urgency of passing two key pieces of legislation ahead of the IMF's spring meetings: the banking secrecy law and the bank restructuring law. He described these as merely initial steps in a much larger reform process.

"The U.S. has given us until the end of September to finalize an agreement with the IMF," Khoury noted, adding that the international community is closely watching whether Lebanon will meet its commitments.