The outgoing prime minister asked for help from "friends of Lebanon" to deal with the collapse, during his speech to the UN General Assembly.Outgoing Lebanese Prime Minister Nagib Mikati at the United Nations podium, September 21, 2022. Photo REUTERS / Mike SegarLebanon's outgoing government has "succeeded in achieving many of the goals it set itself", outgoing Prime Minister Nagib Mikati told the United Nations General Assembly in New York on Wednesday, but the "road is still a long time" for the country to overcome the unprecedented economic crisis it is going through.Faced with this collapse, Mr. Mikati urged the international community to come to the aid of the country of the Cedars."We have achieved many of the goals that we set ourselves. However, the road to take to emerge from the crisis is still long, arduous and full of difficulties," Mikati said at the UN rostrum.He cited among the "successes" of his cabinet the organization of the legislative elections last May which were held on time despite the crisis.He added that his team is also committed to moving forward with all the legislative and administrative reforms required by the IMF to unlock a $3 billion aid program.Read also Lebanese security officials fear widespread chaosAn IMF delegation that visited Lebanon this week said in a statement on Wednesday that the Lebanese government's progress in implementing these reforms remains "very slow".The Fund also noted the considerable delay in the 2022 budget - which has still not been adopted by parliament - and called on Lebanese leaders to focus on crafting a "credible" and projection-based 2023 budget. "realistic" macroeconomics.So far, only the requested reform to adjust the law on banking secrecy has been adopted.However, the IMF called for it to be amended and it has since been sent back to the Legislature by Parliament.Call to a help conferenceMr. Mikati also called in his speech for the "friends" of Lebanon, in the Arab world and elsewhere, to help the country.Lebanon's current economic crisis is one of the worst in the world since the mid-19th century, according to the World Bank.The outgoing Prime Minister said he hoped for the future organization of a new international conference to raise funds that would help the country overcome the "challenges" it is currently facing.Regarding recent developments in the exploitation of Lebanon's offshore energy resources, the billionaire from Tripoli said he was "very happy to announce that the negotiations" on the delimitation of the maritime border with Israel "will end very soon" after a "concrete progress" on this file.Read also Maritime border: the final sprint has begunNagib Mikati met on Tuesday with the American negotiator in charge of these negotiations, Amos Hochstein, who also spoke this week with the Deputy Speaker of Parliament Elias Bou Saab on Lebanon's response to Israeli proposals on the question of the maritime border. .Lebanon "is determined to protect its national interests and grow its national resources", added Mr. Mikati, stressing that Beirut "is aware of the importance of the promising energy market in the Eastern Mediterranean, for the development of the economies of the countries in the region, but also to meet the energy needs of importing countries", while Europe is currently suffering from an energy crisis, following the sanctions imposed on Russia, the main supplier of gas for the European economies.Meetings with Raisi and ErdoganOn the sidelines of the General Assembly, Mikati also met with several Heads of State and other officials from different countries.He notably spoke on Wednesday evening with Iranian President Ebrahim Raisi.Prior to this meeting, outgoing Foreign Minister Abdallah Bou Habib met his Iranian counterpart Hossein Amir-Abdollahian, who reaffirmed to him Iran's intention to supply fuel to Lebanon.Mr. Mikati also met with the World Bank's Vice President for the Middle East and North Africa, Ferid Belhaj, who said they had "discussed the economic and social challenges facing the country and the the need to undertake reforms" to obtain the support of the World Bank.Read also Donation of Iranian fuel: a poisoned gift?Turkish President Recep Tayyip Erdoğan also received Nagib Mikati at "Turkey House", the headquarters of several Turkish diplomatic missions in New York, where Mr. Erdogan reaffirmed his country's support for Lebanon.Ankara has sent aid to Lebanon before, most recently in August when 90 tonnes of medical supplies, including intensive care drugs, were delivered to the Public Health Ministry.Moreover, during a meeting with the United Nations High Commissioner for Refugees, Filippo Grandi, Mr. Bou Habib and the Permanent Representative of Lebanon to the United Nations, Ambassador Amal Mudallali, Mr. Mikati raised the issue Syrian refugees in Lebanon.He referred to the content of the letter he had sent earlier this month to the UN Secretary-General, asking for a "new approach" from the international community to the repatriation of refugees.In his speech to the Assembly, the outgoing Prime Minister recalled that Lebanon is a small country which hosts "a large number of Syrian refugees", emphasizing that "it is a burden that Lebanon can no longer tolerate", and demanding that a plan be put forward to ensure their "safe return" to Syria.Also on Wednesday, representatives of the United States, France and Saudi Arabia met on the sidelines of the General Assembly and called on Lebanon, in a joint statement, to implement the reforms demanded by the IMF. and organize the presidential election "within" the constitutional deadlines.Mikati at UN: 'Road still long' for solving economic crisisSubscribe and access continuous quality information.Preserving quality journalismget 2 free itemsYou agree to receive our newsletters and offers.You can unsubscribe anytime.*By creating this account, you acknowledge having read the general conditions of use and the privacy policy and you accept them.Do you already have a L'Orient-Le Jour account?I connectAs long as these thieves and assassins remain in power the road is not long but endless...... Everyone go out and let those who love to free it manage it.Iran At least 50 dead in suppressed protestsSouth Lebanon One dead and several injured in violent disputes in SaidaUN General Assembly Absence of Lebanese flag during the Mikati-Raïsi meeting: Beirut is justifiedSupport the mission of the group L'Orient-Le Jour by subscribing from $1Support the mission of the group L'Orient-Le Jour by subscribing from $1Area reserved for subscribers:Dear readers, so that your reactions are validated without problem by the moderators of L'Orient-Le Jour, we ask you to take a look at our moderation charter.Downloading...Your message could not be sent.Try Again.Your comment could not be sent because it is longer than 1500 characters.Please reduce it and send it back.As long as these thieves and assassins remain in power the road is not long but endless...... Everyone go out and let those who love to free it manage it."The road is still long...".I really like this "again" which leaves - unfortunately in a fallacious way - to suppose that we have already taken at least one step!Can Mr. Mikati list the accomplishments of his cabinet appointed a year ago.He has not executed any of the policy agenda in the ministerial declaration based on which his cabinet had received a confidence vote in Parliament.None of the journalists bothered asking him the hard questions.The road will be all the longer as M Mikati is at the wheel.Hehehe.So get out if you're useless.They must be having fun, the participants in the UN General Assembly...hearing the billionaire...yes...yes...!!!...from Tripoli, therefore Lebanese, ask to aid to the international community for his country!Well, it's not the first time, and everyone is aware of what's going on with us, with the so-called "leaders"...champions of talk and nullity... - Irène SaidThe Lebanon of today is beautiful with leaders who have nothing to envy to Cresus and who will end up like him, a population that is dying and a government reduced to begging some small alms from the international community.Another begging specialist on tour... This guy is going to make the necessary reforms?Be serious...Independence has a price.Help us preserve it, subscribe.Subscribe to access our unlimited content.Support L'Orient-Le Jour, subscribe now!Support L'Orient-Le Jour, subscribe now!Datagif design, WhiteBeard development© 2021 The Orient-The Day.All rights reserved.© 2021 L'Orient-Le Jour All rights reservedDatagif design, WhiteBeard development