French Foreign Minister Jean-Yves Le Drian expressed deep concerns for Lebanon’s situation Wednesday, calling on the government to implement long overdue reforms as the country battles its worst economic crisis in decades.
“We are ready to help you, but help us to help you,” Le Drian said during the French Parliament’s Foreign Affairs Committee meeting.
The French foreign minister said that Prime Minister Hassan Diab’s government has not implemented any reforms it pledged to carry out in the first 100 days in office.
Le Drian called on the Lebanese government to act, as Lebanon is in danger of collapsing.
The government has to implement long-awaited reforms in various sectors in order to be able to unlock desperately needed international aid to stabilize its collapsing economy, as around half of the country's population is under the poverty line with the local currency dramatically declining in value.
Diab aims at receiving $11 billion pledged during the CEDRE conference in 2018 and some $10 billion from the International Monetary Fund. Talks with the IMF are put on hold as the lender waits for Lebanon to agree on a unified approach to the financial realities.
Speaking of the reforms Lebanon is yet to carry out Le Drian said the country should work toward transparency, fight corruption and reform the troubled electricity sector bleeding out around $2 billion from the state budget annually and the financial and banking system.
According to local newspaper Nidaa al-Watan, Le Drian will be visiting Lebanon in the coming days and the French government will be holding meetings to discuss Lebanon’s situation.
This article has been adapted from its original source.
