Caretaker Prime Minister Najib Mikati on Thursday met at the Grand Serail with US Administrator of the United States Agency for International Development (USAID) Samantha Power heading a delegation.

Mikati praised the work and contributions of the US Agency for International Development in all sectors in Lebanon, especially amid the difficult economic conditions that the country is going through.

"We hope US Agency will provide Lebanese administrations with technical support to activate their work, as well as to extend support to Lebanese municipalities in a bid to help them fight the current crisis,” Mikati added.

For her part, the US official affirmed that Lebanon was at the forefront among a number of countries, in which the agency operated in all sectors.

"We appreciate the government's efforts to achieve the required reform steps, which are part of the terms to reach an understanding between Lebanon and the International Monetary Fund,” Power stated.

“We wish that Lebanese Parliament will complete the required steps to pass the ‘Capital Control’ law and the ‘Banking Sector Restructuring’ law,” she added.

Power finally pledged continuous efforts seeking the best means to fight corruption in cooperation with Lebanese ministries, and the National Anti-Corruption Commission.

The meeting was also attended by Caretaker Minister of Interior and Municipalities Judge Bassam Mawlawi, Caretaker Minister of Health Firass Abiad, and Caretaker Minister of State for Administrative Development Najla Riachi.

For his part, Parliament Speaker Nabih Berri also received Power at his Ain Al-Tineh residence in the presence of US Ambassador to Lebanon Dorothy Shea, as well as the delegation accompanying Administrator Power.