Paris to Convene Lebanon Support Meeting as Hariri Requests Aid for Imports

Arab World

December 6th, 11:33am

Asharq Al-Awsat

FILE PHOTO: Lebanon's now caretaker Prime Minister Saad Hariri speaks during a news conference in Beirut, Lebanon October 18, 2019. REUTERS/Mohamed Azakir

France plans to convene a meeting of an international support group for Lebanon next week to mobilize assistance for the country, a Lebanese government official said, as caretaker Prime Minister Saad Hariri requested aid to help the country secure imports of food and raw materials. A European official said invitations had been sent out for the Dec. 11 meeting in Paris. "It is a meeting to attempt to mobilize assistance to help Lebanon deal with the acute crisis that it is facing," the Lebanese official said. The official spoke to Reuters as a statement from Hariri’s office said that the caretaker PM requested the aid from friendly countries amid an acute dollar shortage. Hariri “asked them to assist Lebanon by securing credits for imports from these countries, thus ensuring the continuity of food security and raw materials for production in various sectors,” it said. The appeal for aid was sent to eight western and Arab countries. Lebanon is grappling with heavy financial strains. Banks have been imposing tight controls on access to hard currency and transfers abroad for more than a month, fearing capital flight.

from Asharq AL-awsat https://aawsat.com/english/home/article/2023741/paris-convene-lebanon-support-meeting-hariri-requests-aid-imports