War was in a way for us a kind of a lesson, a kind of culture, that today we are more flexible to crises. We can understand crises and react quicker. Mr. Serraf notes that Lebanon is paying its debts and still has a good credit rating. He is looking to make Lebanon the regional business hub it once was. However, he says the main problem is the lack of a secure climate for investment.
Today there is no peace and no war.
And this is more critical. If there is a war or a peace, at least a businessman can understand where to go. Professor Salem concludes that if there is peace in the coming year, the situation will quickly improve because, he says, this is the cornerstone for any economic recovery. Although we've made a lot of headway in terms of physical reconstruction and preparing the country for growth, in today's globalized and regionalized economic reality, unless you're really open and you're communicative with the region and the world, you cannot be very productive economically. And that awaits the peace.