October 15, 2026
The Lebanese delegation continues its meetings in Bangkok to discuss financing recovery, financial reform, and cooperation with Syria
For the fourth day in a row, the Lebanese delegation, headed by Finance Minister Yassine Jaber, continued its meetings in the Thai capital, Bangkok, on the sidelines of the annual meetings of the International Monetary Fund and the World Bank Group. Discussions focused on mechanisms for financing recovery projects, supporting financial and tax reform, creating job opportunities, modernizing land crossings, as well as enhancing financial and banking cooperation between Lebanon and Syria.
In this context, Minister of Finance Yassin Jaber and Minister of Economy and Trade Amer Al-Bassat held a meeting with the Director General and Chairman of the Board of Directors of the Arab Fund for Economic and Social Development, Fawzi Youssef Al-Hanif. The meeting was attended by Director General of Finance, Georges Maarawi, and advisors to the Minister of Finance, Claudine Karaki and Zeina Qassem, who also accompanied the meetings with the International Monetary Fund and the International Organization for Migration.
The meeting with the Arab Fund discussed the preparation of a project portfolio according to a clear program that integrates financing with technical assistance and capacity building, in addition to supporting the private sector and small and medium enterprises. The Lebanese side stressed the need for coordination with the World Bank and the European Union to ensure the integration of support and enhance its impact. For his part, Al-Hanaif expressed the Fund’s readiness to continue supporting Lebanon, awaiting the Lebanese side’s submission of a practical proposal to follow up in the next stage.
At the level of financial reform, the Ministry of Finance delegation, which included Maarawi, Karaki, and Qasim, met with the delegation of the Financial Affairs Department at the International Monetary Fund, headed by Deputy Director of the Department, Ali Abbas. The two sides discussed the medium-term financial framework, enhancing public revenues, and improving the efficiency of tax and customs administration, in addition to technical assistance priorities to modernize systems and develop public financial management. The Fund delegation affirmed its continued support for Lebanon, while agreeing to continue technical coordination on a regular basis to ensure the sustainability of reforms.
Regarding the displacement and development file, Ministers Jaber and Al-Bassat met with the Deputy Director-General of the International Organization for Migration, Song Ah Lee, where the organization’s programs in Lebanon were reviewed, especially supporting displaced Syrians and youth employment, and benefiting from available data on the conditions of displaced people and areas of return to guide government decisions.
The Lebanese side presented the national job creation program, which is based on the “cash for work” initiative and support for small and medium enterprises, and complements cash transfer programs. The delegation called for integrating the organization’s funding into this program to expand the scope of benefit, which I welcomed, expressing the organization’s readiness to contribute to funding and support the mobilization of additional resources. The meeting also touched on modernizing the land crossings with Syria and equipping them with scanners to facilitate the movement of trade and tourism, and strengthening regional economic interconnection with the support of the World Bank, as well as the role of the Lebanese deployment in supporting the economy and the issue of the voluntary return of displaced persons.
Within the framework of strengthening bilateral relations, an expanded meeting was held with the Syrian delegation, which included the Minister of Finance, Muhammad Yusser Barneyah, and the Governor of the Central Bank of Syria, Safwat Raslan. On the Lebanese side, Ministers Jaber and Al-Bassat, and the Governor of the Bank of Lebanon, Karim Said, participated, along with Maarawi, Qasim, and Karaki.
The two sides discussed ways to enhance financial and banking cooperation, and the file of Syrian deposits in Lebanese banks, where it was emphasized that they are treated like other depositors in accordance with the approved legal frameworks. The attendees also discussed regulating banking operations and transfers, and exchanging information related to the real beneficiary to support the fight against money laundering and compliance with international standards. The governors of the two central banks agreed to form a joint technical working group to follow up on these files and propose practical solutions in preparation for holding subsequent meetings. Minister Jaber stressed that this meeting represents an essential step towards building an integrated financial and economic relationship between the two countries based on trust and transparency.
