Prime Minister Nawaf Salam is heading to the United States on an official visit that carries extremely sensitive strategic dimensions, as its agenda is not limited to protocol aspects, but rather collides with three major and interconnected files: the south, the financial track, and reconstruction.
The stops of the visit begin in New York, where the southern file is at the forefront of the discussions, especially with regard to the future of the International Emergency Forces “UNIFIL” after the end of its mission in its current form. The Lebanese government faces time pressure that requires it to resolve the arrangements related to the mechanism for filling the vacuum, the deployment of the Lebanese army, and the guarantees necessary to prevent the south from turning into an arena of continuous tension.
In Washington, Salam is holding a series of high-level meetings, most notably with US Secretary of State Marco Rubio, to discuss the course of bilateral relations, the American role in the negotiations and support for the military establishment, as well as possible security arrangements for the next stage.
On the financial and economic level, the Prime Minister is holding crucial talks with the Director of the International Monetary Fund, Kristalina Georgieva, to address addressing the financial gap, restructuring banks, and the fate of deposits, in addition to the 2027 budget and tax packages allocated to finance public sector salaries and operational expenses. These files collide with strict international conditions that adhere to implementing structural reforms, controlling spending, and resolving the distribution of financial losses, in exchange for Lebanon’s efforts to secure financing to support the public sector, reconstruction, and protect depositors.
Salam will continue his economic discussions by meeting with the President of the World Bank, Ajay Banga, to discuss the reconstruction file in light of the high cost and scarcity of available financing, as donor countries require the existence of a clear political and financial vision before providing any financial support.
The data confirm that these files are not separate, but rather form an integrated path. The south is linked to the readiness of the army, and the latter requires international support, which in turn is linked to the reforms required by the IMF, which in turn form the basis of the reconstruction file.
Thus, Salam’s visit to the United States takes on a fateful character, as it is a test of the government’s ability to extract simultaneous political, security, and financial support, in the face of the complex conditions imposed by the international community on the Lebanese state.
