Lebanon PM talks economic crisis with Qatari officials

DOHA, Qatar

Lebanon's caretaker Prime Minister Hassan Diab held talks with Qatar's top officials on developments in Lebanon along with strengthening bilateral relations, according to Qatar’s state news agency.

Diab held two separate meetings on Sunday with Qatari Foreign Minister Mohammed bin Abdulrahman Al Thani and Defense Minister Khalid bin Mohammad Al Attiyah.

The discussions in both meetings focused on strengthening bilateral relations between Doha and Beirut and reviewed the recent developments in Lebanon.

On Feb. 18, Lebanese Prime Minister-designate Saad Hariri visited Doha for talks on Lebanese developments. The visit was preceded by a visit by the Qatari foreign minister in early February to Beirut in an effort to help Lebanon exit its ongoing political impasse.

The Qatari government has repeatedly called on Lebanese political parties to agree on forming a government amid a continued rift over the government formation.

Hariri has proposed a government formation of technocrats, but the proposal was rejected by Lebanese President Michel Aoun. Hariri accused Aoun of seeking to ensure that his Free Patriotic Movement takes one-third of the Cabinet seats, an accusation denied by the Lebanese president.

The one-third of Cabinet seats means having veto power over the government's decisions and policies.

Lebanon is facing a severe economic crisis, with the local currency losing nearly all its value against the US dollar. Streets across the country have been blocked by protests and rallies over the crisis, the worst since the country’s civil war.

*Ahmed Asmar in Ankara contributed to this report