Lebanon reaches tentative deal with IMF on economic policies

By BASSEM MROUE
Associated Press

BEIRUT (AP) — Lebanon and the International Monetary Fund have reached a tentative agreement on comprehensive economic policies that could eventually pave the way for unlocking billions of dollars in loans to the crisis-hit country. The agreement was announced by Prime Minister Najib Mikati after a meeting with IMF delegates in Beirut. He said Lebanon promised the IMF that Beirut would implement wide-ranging reforms in the small nation notorious for corruption. The tentative agreement provides a glimmer of hope for Lebanon, which is in the grip of a paralyzing economic crisis that was described by the World Bank as one of the worst the world has witnessed in more than 150 years.