Glaser Meets Senior Officials, Stresses Importance of Transparency in Financial Sector

U.S. Treasury Assistant Secretary for Terrorist Financing Daniel Glaser held a meeting on Thursday with Prime Minister Najib Miqati, Bank of Lebanon Governor Riyad Salameh, and a number of representatives from the Lebanese banking community.

Glaser emphasized the need for Lebanon to take the necessary steps to ensure a transparent and well-regulated financial sector for Lebanon’s continued prosperity.

He stressed the need for authorities to protect the Lebanese financial sector from potential Syrian attempts to evade U.S. and EU financial sanctions.

The U.S. official reiterated his country’s view that it is important to ensure that the current instability in Syria does not undermine the Lebanese financial sector.

Glaser also called for Lebanon to meet all of its international obligations, including cooperating with and funding the Special Tribunal for Lebanon probing the assassination of ex-Premier Rafik Hariri.

He renewed the commitment of the U.S. to a stable, sovereign and independent Lebanon.

Al-Joumhouria newspaper reported on Thursday that the talks will focus on the importance of making more efforts to preserve transparency in banking transactions.

According to U.S. sources, Glaser will tackle the issues that were addressed during Salameh’s visit to Washington, especially the suspicious transactions undertaken by some Lebanese banks.

“The U.S. hopes that the transparency in transactions will stop any terrorist organizations from receiving money through Lebanese banks,” the sources said.

The daily reported that the U.S. official is seeking “convincing” answers from the Lebanese officials on fully cooperating with the United States and exerting more efforts to reveal any suspicious transactions.

The sources told al-Joumhouria that Washington has enough evidence that bank transfers done by the Syrian regime through Lebanon are being transferred to other countries.