Lebanon Hopes for Initial IMF Agreement Within Months

Lebanon may be able to sign a so-called staff-level agreement with the International Monetary Fund within months, according to its economy minister, a step that would pave the way for talks over a funding package for the war-ravaged nation.

The minister, Amer Bisat, who was a BlackRock Inc. emerging market money manager until being appointed in February, added in an interview that Lebanon was set to have an introductory meeting with holders of the country’s defaulted bonds on April 25 in Washington.