Crisis Over Lebanese Ambassador to Washington Ends with File Closure After Criticism... Germany Announces 5 Million Euros to Support Lebanese Army

Republic President General Joseph Aoun, at Baabda Palace, received the credentials of six new ambassadors accredited to Lebanon, representing Malaysia, Egypt, Iraq, Vietnam, Guatemala, and Ghana. The ambassadors conveyed greetings from their respective heads of state, reaffirming their commitment to strengthening bilateral relations, while President Aoun entrusted them with his greetings to the leaders of their countries, wishing them success in their diplomatic missions.

Meanwhile, at Ain el-Tineh, Speaker of the Parliament Nabih Berri met with a delegation from the Democratic Meeting Forum, led by MP Timour Jumblatt.

On the governmental front, Minister of Information Paul Maroun announced that there is “no decision yet to refer the truck bomb case to the Military Judiciary,” clarifying that the Minister of Justice had proposed a draft decree concerning the Dahr el-Bider shipment case, but it had not yet reached the Council of Ministers’ table nor been placed on the agenda.

In another file, the political sphere was preoccupied with the case of Lebanese Ambassador to the United States Nada Hamadeh Maawad, following her contact with the Israeli ambassador in Washington and her condemnation of the incident involving the hitting of his son in the West Bank. The file was referred to the military judiciary, which quickly decided to close the case due to the lack of evidence and proof demonstrating acts that fall under the provisions of the Israeli Boycott Law.

MP Ashraf Rifi considered the targeting of the ambassador a “transparent attempt to undermine the role of the Lebanese state and obstruct the negotiation process determined by its legitimate authorities.”

Former Minister Youssef Saleh issued an open appeal to President Aoun, questioning the scope of presidential powers in the post-Taif Agreement era and the influence of de facto powers on state institutions.

Economically, the International Monetary Fund (IMF) announced its intention to send an official mission to Lebanon next November to continue talks on supporting the Lebanese economy and moving toward an agreement on a support program.

Athanasios Vourvachis, Deputy Director of the Middle East and Central Asia Department at the IMF, stated that “recent talks in Bangkok between IMF officials and Lebanese authorities were good and productive,” confirming “continued intensive communication in the coming weeks in preparation for the visit.”

Discussions between the IMF and Lebanese authorities focused on restructuring the banking sector, restoring confidence in the financial system, putting public debt on a sustainable path, accelerating structural reforms, addressing the fiscal gap, preparing the 2027 budget, and establishing a medium-term fiscal framework.

In a related development, the United Nations Development Programme (UNDP) announced that the German government had provided an additional contribution of 5 million euros to support the Lebanese Army, bringing the total German support channeled through the program to 10 million euros.

The funding will be allocated to improve the living conditions of military personnel and their families in areas such as food, healthcare, education, and housing, as well as to provide equipment for rubble clearance and explosive ordnance disposal, and to support recovery efforts in conflict-affected areas. This non-military support will continue until 2028.