Global economic lobby of Lebanese business men and women

During a general assembly attended by its founding members, the Lebanese Business Association World (RDCL World) elected its first board of directors, which included: Fuad Zmokhol (president), Toni Gharib (vice-president), Farid Dahdah (secretary), Elie Aoun (general secretary), and Elie Abu Jawdeh, Mona Bawarshi, Emile Shawi, Elias Dumit, Karim Farsun, George Gharib, Nassib Nassr and Riad Obegi as members. On the occasion, the president elect underlined the main objectives of the association which is to create a steadfast Lebanese economic lobby in the world based on a distinctive, substantial and solid force. Zmokhol identified the priorities of the new world team as follows: 1) build and strengthen partnerships with leading global institutions like, the World Bank, International Monetary Fund (IMF), the International Finance Corporation (IFC) and the Organization for Economic Cooperation and Development (OECD); 2) create synergies with commercial, social and unionist international associations, like the Francophone University Association (AUF) and L’Institut de Prospective Economique du Monde Mediterraneen (IPEMED); 3) to finalize procedures for Lebanon’s access to giant economic cartels, like for example, the South American Economic Organization (Mercosur), World Trade Organization (WTO) and the South Asian Association for Regional Cooperation (SAARC); 4) build permanent channels of cooperation and communication with academia and students in Lebanon in the framework of the Francophone countries and the world; 5), maintain close relations with various embassies in Lebanon, and 6) and protect openness to the world as well as organize economic delegations to various continents. (Al Diyar, Al Mustaqbal, March 2, 2017)