EU urges Lebanon to agree with IMF, implement reforms

EU foreign policy chief Josep Borrell on Tuesday warned that political vacuum is occurring in Lebanon while the country is "facing a deteriorating socioeconomic situation."

"Institutional volatility compounded with economic instability would pose serious risks for Lebanon and its people,” Borrell said in a statement.

He added that the EU once again calls on the Lebanese leadership to “organize presidential elections and form a government with the utmost urgency.”

Borrell reminded that in July 2022, the EU renewed a sanctions framework that allows to “impose restrictive measures on individuals or entities blocking an exit to the Lebanese crisis.”

“In order to facilitate the disbursement of the additional international funding and reverse the deteriorating trend of the Lebanese economy, a disbursing agreement with the International Monetary Fund (IMF) must be reached; and key, long overdue reforms must be undertaken without any further delay,” the top EU diplomat urged.

“The EU remains committed to continue assisting Lebanon and its people to move towards the recovery and stability they deserve. At the same time, the EU urges the Lebanese leadership to face its responsibilities and take action,” Borrell went on to say.