Lebanese Prime Minister meets US Treasury Secretary
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- Bessent urged Lebanon to take proactive steps to crack down on the cash economy and disrupt Iranian and Hezbollah financial networks.
- Discussions focused on combating money laundering and illicit financing to help reintegrate Lebanon into the international financial system.
Lebanese Prime Minister Nawaf Salam met with US Treasury Secretary Scott Bessent at the US Treasury Department headquarters in Washington, according to an official statement issued by the Lebanese Prime Minister's office.
The high-level meeting was attended by Lebanese Minister of Finance Yassine Jaber and Lebanon's Ambassador to the United States, Nada Hamadeh Moawad.
The officials discussed bilateral economic and financial relations between Lebanon and the United States.
During the meeting, Salam outlined the progress achieved by the Lebanese government regarding financial and banking reform tracks, as well as measures being implemented to mitigate the effects of the country's economic crisis and restructure the banking sector.
During the meeting, discussions focused on Lebanon's ongoing negotiation process with the International Monetary Fund (IMF) and its joint framework with the World Bank.
Lebanese Prime Minister Salam formally requested US support for Lebanon's efforts to advance through both institutional tracks, emphasizing the necessity of securing international backing for the government's economic recovery and reform agenda.
Anti-money laundering compliance
The delegation also reviewed cabinet initiatives aimed at combating the expansion of the cash economy and curbing transactions operating outside the formal banking system.
Salam detailed steps taken to strengthen regulatory transparency, enforce compliance standards, and combat money laundering and terrorist financing.
The Prime Minister emphasized that these structural measures are designed to restore confidence in the Lebanese financial sector and facilitate its full reintegration into the international financial system.
