Summary
A deal with the government ended a gas station strike that had threatened to cause chaos throughout Lebanon Friday.
The strike was mainly triggered by reports of a U.S. dollar liquidity crunch in the market despite repeated assurances by Central Bank Gov. Riad Salameh that there is no dollar crisis and that the U.S. currency was available in banks.
George Fayyad, president of APIC, said Hariri informed them that there was a clear mechanism to ensure dollars to open credit lines.
The agreement prompted the Syndicate of Gas Station Owners to suspend an open-ended strike planned for Friday.
Lebanese officials, including President Michel Aoun and Salameh, have sought to dispel fears of an economic collapse.
Aoun returned to Beirut Friday after heading Lebanon's delegation to the 74th session of the U.N. General Assembly.
Foreign Minister Gebran Bassil, who was part of the Lebanese delegation to the General Assembly, accused partners in the government of conspiring to undermine the country's economy.
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