Mikati to New York

Prime Minister Najib Mikati is seeking appointments with U.S. officials, especially Secretary of State Antony Blinken, during his upcoming visit to New York to lead Lebanon's delegation at the United Nations General Assembly. After rumors circulated that Mikati is banned from entering the United States and has not obtained a visa for some time, informed sources told "Al-Akhbar" that he "discussed with a delegation from the International Monetary Fund, which visited Beirut recently, the possibility of inviting him to hold meetings with the Fund's management in the U.S. capital, and he considers the approval of the draft budget for next year on time as a positive sign of his government's handling of the Fund's requests."