Saad Hariri, head of the caretaker government in Lebanon, confirmed his commitment to prepare an urgent rescue plan to address the economic crisis in his country.

This came in two telephone calls made by Al-Hariri to the President of the World Bank, David Malpas, and the Executive Director of the International Monetary Fund, Kristina Georgieva, according to a statement issued by his media office yesterday.

According to the statement, Hariri presented with the international officials the economic and monetary difficulties facing Lebanon.

According to the statement, Hariri affirmed to both Malbas and Georgieva "his commitment to prepare an urgent rescue plan to address the crisis, pending the formation of a new government capable of implementing it, and discussed with them technical assistance that both the bank and the International Monetary Fund can provide in the framework of preparing this plan."

Al-Hariri discussed with the President of the World Bank "the possibility of the International Finance Company, which belongs to the bank, to increase its contribution to financing international trade for Lebanon, as part of the efforts made by Al-Hariri to avoid any interruption in the basic needs imported by the crisis."

Meanwhile, the Foreign Minister of the Caretaker Government and the leader of the Free Patriotic Movement, Gibran Bassil, said that the country’s largest Christian political bloc will not participate in a new government according to conditions that Hariri insists on. But Basil added that the Free Patriotic Movement would also not prevent the formation of a new government.

Basil, an ally of Hezbollah, called for the formation of a technocratic government including the prime minister, leaving the door open for participation under various conditions. Basil said: "If Hariri insists on the equation of me or no one ... We are the Free Patriotic Movement ... We do not care to participate in such a government because it is bound to fail inevitably."

In Cairo, the Assistant Secretary General, Head of the Office of the Secretary General of the Arab League, Ambassador Hossam Zaki, stressed the importance of holding the meeting of the International Group for Lebanon, which was held in the French capital, Paris. The League of Arab States participated in the meeting with a delegation headed by Ambassador Hossam Zaki.