Beirut: President of the Republic, Joseph Aoun, was briefed by the head of Lebanon's negotiating delegation, former ambassador Simon Karam, on the discussions held in Rome last week between the Lebanese, U.S., and Israeli delegations. Aoun also provided Karam with guidance for the next phase. According to National News Agency - Lebanon, Aoun received Dalia Khalifa, the World Bank's Regional Director for the Middle East, who was accompanied by a delegation on the occasion of her new responsibilities covering Lebanon, Syria, Jordan, Iraq, and Iran. Khalifa expressed her determination to address Lebanon's urgent needs and requested Aoun to outline the country's priorities and expectations from the World Bank Group in the coming phase. Khalifa reaffirmed the World Bank's commitment to its partnership with Lebanon and its readiness to respond to the country's needs through existing programs, directing priorities toward the most affected areas. Aoun emphasized Lebanon's need for support from the World Bank and it s partners to address the needs of more than 600,000 citizens who have returned to their areas amid extensive damage to numerous towns and villages, some of which have suffered near-total destruction. The president also met with Social Affairs Minister Haneen Al-Sayyed, who briefed him on the ministry's work to develop an integrated plan for the return of residents, early recovery, and the restoration of essential services in areas affected by the Israeli war. The briefing covered preliminary assessments of needs and priorities to be identified during the first phase, along with proposed implementation and financing mechanisms.