Lebanese delegation begins Washington talks as PM Salam meets Rubio

A Lebanese ministerial delegation led by Prime Minister Nawaf Salam, along with the ministers of finance and energy, began meetings in Washington with senior officials from the World Bank Group and the International Monetary Fund (IMF).

The delegation’s schedule at the World Bank headquarters on Monday began with a working meeting at noon Washington time with Executive Director Abdulaziz Al-Mulla. It was followed at 1:15 p.m. by a meeting with IFC Vice President for the Middle East and Central Asia Imad Fakhoury and MIGA Vice President for Operations Junaid Kamal Ahmad.

At 2 p.m., the delegation was scheduled to meet with World Bank Vice President for Infrastructure Valerie Levkov. At 3 p.m., Finance Minister Yassine Jaber and the energy and water minister were due to join Salam for a meeting with World Bank President Ajay Banga, in the presence of Lebanon’s Ambassador to Washington Nada Hamadeh.

A key addition to the delegation’s schedule is a meeting between Salam and Jaber and U.S. Treasury Secretary Scott Bessent at 4 p.m. Monday.

On Tuesday, the delegation is scheduled to meet at 10:30 a.m. with IMF Managing Director Kristalina Georgieva. The meeting is expected to address Lebanon’s financial and banking reform process and the steps needed to advance negotiations between Beirut and the IMF.

Jaber said ahead of the visit that the Washington meetings aim to reactivate the process toward an agreement with the IMF and strengthen Lebanon’s partnership with the World Bank, building on reforms already completed, including the approval of legislation to restructure the banking sector, while work continues on the financial gap law.

Jaber said the goal is to advance negotiations with the IMF toward a staff-level agreement, while also expanding cooperation with the World Bank and securing additional support and financing for critical projects Lebanon needs, particularly in the energy, water, reconstruction, digital transformation, and social safety-net sectors.