US' eye on banking sector

Treasury Department official in Beirut to “highlight importance of maintaining transparent financial sector”

The U.S. Department of the Treasury announced that its Assistant Secretary for Terrorist Financing, Daniel Glaser, will travel to Beirut this week (November 9 to14) for talks with banking sector officials.

The visit is part of a one week trip that also includes Jordan and Russia.

Glaser’s visit aims at ensuring the effectiveness of the sanctions imposed, by the U.S. and the EU, on the Syrian regime on the backdrop of the violence practiced against protestors in Damascus.

The Treasury Department said that the envoy will meet with senior government officials, regulators, and banking sector executives to highlight the importance of Lebanon’s continued efforts to maintain a transparent, sound, and well-regulated financial sector. “He will also highlight the need for authorities to remain vigilant against attempts by the Syrian regime to evade U.S. and EU sanctions through the country’s financial sector,” it said.