DAILY NEWS
Arab League Envoy Travels to Beirut to Discuss Gulf Crisis
Arab League envoy Hossam Zaki met with President Michel Aoun today followed by a meeting with Prime Minister Najib Miqati in effort to explore resolutions to the escalating diplomatic crisis between Lebanon and Saudi Arabia. [AP] Zaki described talks with Lebanese officials as positive and said he will travel to Saudi Arabia if necessary. [Al Jazeera] Today Aoun urged Saudi Arabia to differentiate between stances of the Lebanese state and stances of individuals or other groups. [Naharnet]
PM Miqati Says IMF Talks Advancing Well
Today Prime Minister Miqati reported that Lebanon’s preliminary talks with the International Monetary Fund were advancing and going well. He said that a revised financial recovery plan will be ready by the end of the month adding that “for the first time we have handed over unified financial figures.” [Reuters]
Lebanon Co-Sponsors UN Resolution Draft to Protect Journalists
Last Friday Lebanon co-sponsored a UN Resolution draft meant to protect journalists. It calls for punishing culprits who commit violent crimes against journalists and releasing journalists who are unjustly detained, arrested, or imprisoned. The draft also calls for governments to take legal action to protect journalists and t0 support investigation in to crimes against them. [The 961]
OPINION & ANALYSIS
Doing Business in Lebanon – On the Ropes
Jean AbiNader
AbiNader writes, “A business asks itself two questions when looking for new markets: what are my risks, and how do I get my money out? There are no easy answers to these questions when it comes to Lebanon. It all begins with the money: the Lebanese pound. What is it worth, can it be used for purchasing overseas supplies, can it be exchanged favorably with other currencies, and is there a banking system that is reliable and ready to help build businesses? While the Commerce Department Report touches on opportunities for US companies in many areas, they are conditioned upon several fundamental ‘ifs’. For example, if they can get the needed licenses, customs clearances, financing, etc., and if the country adopts the reforms needed to perform as a functioning member of the global economy.”
Disclaimer: The views and opinions expressed in these articles are those of the author and do not necessarily reflect the position of the American Task Force on Lebanon, a non-profit, nonpartisan leadership organization of Lebanese-Americans.