The French ambassador to Lebanon, Anne Grillo, carried a message from her government reflecting President Emmanuel Macron's interest in the Lebanese file. She revealed, according to well-informed sources for "Al-Jumhuriya," part of her message during a meeting with President Michel Aoun yesterday with European Union ambassadors, who had requested a broad meeting with him to express a disappointed European stance regarding the failure of officials to fulfill their commitments made in the agreement that was reached at the staff level with the International Monetary Fund (IMF) delegation that arrived in Lebanon at the beginning of this week and began meetings with Lebanese officials.
Additionally, the IMF delegation assured some of those they met with that they are "willing to be flexible and cooperate if the urgent reform laws are enacted, provided that they are not sabotaged or stripped of their content," expressing satisfaction with the proposed amendments to the banking secrecy law, which the President returned to the House of Representatives. The delegation explained, according to well-informed sources for "Al-Jumhuriya," that if the required laws are enacted and a final agreement is reached with the IMF, "there will be significant financial openness towards Lebanon from international institutions; however, if you do not take responsibility, we cannot do anything for you, and there are many countries in the world waiting for us."
