Former Prime Ministers Najib Mikati, Tammam Salam and Fouad Siniora visited Baabda Palace on Wednesday, a day after the formation of a new government headed by their successor Nawaf Salam.
Expressing his full support for the new Cabinet, Mikati said after the meeting that discussions with President Joseph Aoun centered on the security situation at the border and Israel’s withdrawal from southern Lebanon by February 18, as stipulated under the prolonged ceasefire agreement between Israel and Hezbollah.
For his part, Siniora expressed optimism about the country's future, welcoming Nawaf Salam's success in forming the government. “A return to political life is now possible after major violations of the Constitution and the Taif Agreement have been committed,” he said.
Commenting on the economic situation, the former prime minister stressed, “There is no bankrupt state, but rather a bankrupt administration, and there are many possibilities for resolving the multiple crises affecting the country.” “We are going through a difficult period, and we must manage the expectations of the Lebanese as best we can and set our priorities,” he insisted, emphasizing the need for a complete withdrawal of the Israeli Army from southern Lebanon.
President Aoun Requests Help from the European Union
In a related development, President Aoun has called on the countries of the European Union to press for a full Israeli withdrawal from southern Lebanon before the February 18 deadline.
In a meeting at Baabda Palace on Wednesday morning with Portuguese Foreign Minister Paulo Rangel, Aoun declared that Lebanon “supports the Arab peace initiative and rejects any move to provoke the forced displacement of Palestinians or to violate their inherent rights, enshrined in UN resolutions.”
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