Lebanon to launch steps to issue FX bonds very soon - finmin

Lebanon will "very soon" start measures to issue bonds in foreign currency of about $2 bln, Finance Minister Ali Hassan Khalil said on Wednesday.

Khalil said in April the government was preparing to issue Eurobonds in the range of $2.5 billion to $3 billion to finance state needs. Last week, he said Lebanon was still studying the option of new debt issuance to pay its debt obligations for the year.

Asked about the availability of dollars in Lebanon, he said: "There is not much liquidity in foreign currency in people's hands in the market, but the dollar exchange rate is still maintained in the banks."