Lebanese Ministry of Foreign Affairs to Abolish Economic Attachés by 2023

The Lebanese Ministry of Foreign Affairs has notified more than fifteen economic attachés that their function will be abolished at the end of 2023, two diplomatic sources confirmed to The East-The Day.

These civil servants are attached to the embassies and consular missions of Lebanon (or to a consular post) and are responsible for studying all economic problems, informing public administrations, and assisting traders and industrialists on external markets.

About fifteen commercial attachés have been informed of the decision to abolish their post. “A lot of things can change between now and the end of the year, so it is possible that this decision could be changed”, specifies however from the same source. According to the latter, the economic attachés of Washington, Moscow, Brussels, Paris, London and Kuwait have seen their function abolished. Others resigned during the year.

“It is not necessary to have a commercial attaché, his work can be done by the diplomat, says another diplomatic source. When commercial attachés were hired, it was to serve the interests of certain political parties. Now that the Ministry of Foreign Affairs has understood that it was simple corruption and clientelism, it reacts and reduces the unnecessary costs”.

The Ministry of Foreign Affairs did not respond to our requests to confirm the decision and explain the reasons.

In a press release, the Association of Lebanese Industrialists “expressed its deep regret at the decision of the Ministry of Foreign Affairs to abolish the functions of commercial attachés”. “This measure would destroy all the efforts made in recent years to open new markets for industrial exports and create new commercial relations with a large number of countries”, adds the association. The latter also believes that there is “still time to find solutions to this crisis” and calls on officials as well as the Ministry of Foreign Affairs “to reconsider this decision given the importance of the role played by commercial attachés”. .

“The decision to abolish the functions of economic attachés by the Ministry of Foreign Affairs threatens Lebanon’s trade and economic relations with important and influential countries that import more than two billion dollars from Lebanon each year, and contribute to the stability of several industries, warned MP Farid Boustany on the X network (ex-Twitter).What is needed is a review and serious study of the decision of the Ministry of Foreign Affairs in order to find effective solutions that preserve the economic ties between Lebanon and abroad”.

The head of diplomacy Abdallah Bou Habib brushed aside in April the information according to which the Bustros palace intended to put an end to certain Lebanese diplomatic and consular missions, in view of the economic crisis. However, Lebanese diplomats abroad receive their income intermittently, due to a lack of foreign currency in a crisis-stricken Lebanon. Nor do they receive the amounts earmarked for the upkeep and proper functioning of diplomatic missions.