IMF and World Bank Spring Meetings: Lebanon hopes to turn positive signals into IMF agreement

Report by Bassam Abou Zeid, English adaptation by Yasmine Jaroudi    

Lebanon is aiming to send a strong signal of seriousness and intent during the Spring Meetings of the International Monetary Fund (IMF) and the World Bank as it pushes to rebuild trust and secure a long-awaited agreement with the IMF—seen as the country’s only gateway to gaining renewed support from both Arab and international partners.

The Lebanese delegation to Washington is presenting a unified financial and economic vision, notably with the participation of Finance Minister Yassine Jaber, the first finance minister to attend these meetings since Mohammad Safadi held the post from 2011 to 2014.

While expectations from this round of meetings remain modest, the Lebanese team sees it as a foundational step toward an eventual IMF agreement. 

However, officials are fully aware that reaching such a deal hinges on technical reforms—such as restructuring the banking sector—and key political moves. One of these issues is arms control, with international stakeholders emphasizing the need for exclusive state control over all weapons as a prerequisite for lasting stability.

The Lebanese delegation has pointed to recent actions, including the uncovering of cells responsible for launching rockets into Israeli settlements and the seizure of additional rockets intended for similar attacks, as signs of progress on the security front.

The IMF and World Bank have welcomed two recent developments: the joint parliamentary committees’ approval of amendments to the banking secrecy law, and the Lebanese government’s endorsement of a draft law to restructure and reorganize the banking sector. 

While both steps were seen as positive signals, they remain insufficient on their own to guarantee concrete support from the IMF and World Bank, whose commitment still depends on broader, sustained reforms.

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