Lebanon will begin detailed discussions with the International Monetary Fund (IMF) on Wednesday, sources close to the government said, as Beirut seeks financial aid from the Fund to deal with a major financial crisis.

Lebanon officially requested IMF assistance on May 1 as it grapples with a crisis which is seen as the biggest threat to its stability since the 1975-90 civil war.

The sides held an introductory meeting on Monday including Finance Minister Ghazi Wazni from the Lebanese side ahead of the detailed talks on Wednesday, a source close to the government said.

The talks on Wednesday, to be convened via video conferencing, will be attended by officials from the prime minister's office, the central bank and the presidency.

The Lebanese newspaper al-Joumhouria earlier reported that negotiations had started on Monday, citing unidentified sources. A finance ministry official said they had no comment on the report.

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