Lebanese Prez urges IMF to conclude aid deal with Lebanon

Beirut, July 22 (IANS) Lebanese President Michel Aoun has urged the International Monetary Fund (IMF) to conclude the aid agreement with the crisis-ridden country, saying Lebanon has been adopting the needed structural reforms.He made the remarks during his meeting in Beirut with Pierre Duquesne, French presidential envoy for coordinating international support to Lebanon, said a presidential statement on Thursday.Aoun said he hoped that Lebanon can form a new government dutiful in unifying the exchange rate, following up on the "forensic audits" into the financial sector, and dealing with banks' losses fairly, Xinhua news agency reported."This would restore confidence in Lebanon and motivate international institutions to support the country," he added.Duquesne, for his part, said France will encourage donor countries and international institutions to support Lebanon's infrastructure to foster job opportunities and curb immigration.Lebanon has been suffering from an unprecedented financial crisis in the past years and needs quick legislation in the parliament to facilitate the government's recovery plan.
--IANS int/khz/

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