Naharnet

EU Ambassador Discusses Int'l Conferences, Reforms with Berri

EU Ambassador to Lebanon Christina Lassen met Friday with Parliament Speaker Nabih Berri to discuss the recent developments in the region and the Parliament's priorities ahead of the elections, an EU Delegation statement said.

Lassen highlighted the potential of the three upcoming support conferences in Rome, Paris and Brussels to support the stability and further economic development of Lebanon. “To maximize the chance of the conferences to succeed and attract public and private sector investments, Ambassador Lassen called to further accelerate the Government's reform program, stressing that it is imperative that economic reforms as well concrete steps to implement Lebanon's dissociation policy are undertaken immediately,” the statement said.

"The success of all three support conferences depends on Lebanon embarking on a track of sustainable growth and stability and a clear understanding of mutual commitments and accountability," Lassen told Berri.

She called for a “clear plan” from the Government to tackle reforms, including “measures to stabilize the fiscal situation, balance the debt, and strengthen the public investment management framework including through legislation on anti-corruption.”

She also hoped that the state budget will be passed before the CEDRE conference.

Ambassador Lassen also expressed support for the efforts to de-escalate current tensions concerning Lebanon's southern borders and encouraged “continued diplomatic engagement” from all sides to solve the disputes.

Source: Naharnet


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