BEIRUT, March 30 (Reuters) - The Lebanese economy is expected to grow by 2 percent in 2017, Finance Minister Ali Hassan Khalil said on Thursday.

"Our expected growth ... should reach 2 percent, and it is a percentage of growth that is still limited and in need of a set of measures to boost or improve it," he said in a televised news conference announcing details of Lebanon's first state budget in 12 years.

(Writing by Tom Perry; Editing by Alison Williams) ((thomas.perry@thomsonreuters.com; Reuters Messaging: thomas.perry.reuters.com@reuters.net))