Reuters scores interview with Lebanese central bank governor

Reuters interviewed Lebanese central bank governor Riad Salameh at a time of rising domestic political tensions. In the interview, Salameh dismissed speculation that the bank might widen the trading band of the Lebanese pound, promising to intervene again if necessary to support the currency, as the bank did recently for the first time in two years. He also revealed details of the makeup of Lebanons foreign currency reserves, the amount of gold reserves, and the central banks intention to set its banks a higher capital target than Basel III requirements. The well-timed interview, an example of expanding Reuters economic policy coverage in the Middle East, was widely used by local and regional media.