Solana urges quick formation of Lebanon”s new cabinet
Visiting EU foreign policy chief Javier Solana Tuesday urged the Lebanese to form the new cabinet as soon as possible in view of regional situation and the economic crisis, the official National News Agency reported.
Solana, who is on his Middle East tour for resumption of stalled Israeli-Palestinian peace talks, made the remarks after meeting with Lebanese caretaker Foreign Minister Fawzi Salloukh.
Lebanon sees no new cabinet for more than two months since Saad Hariri was designated Prime Minister on June 27.
Hariri has been struggling to make up a national unity government, following his March 14 Alliance won the June 7 parliamentary elections over March 8 Alliance.
Solana also said he was happy to see the tension between UN Interim Forces in Lebanon (UNIFIL) and the Lebanese government is over, adding that the UNIFIL plays a major role in Lebanon.
For his part, Salloukh reiterated Lebanon”s commitment to the development of relations with the European Union and support for the EU Middle East initiative.
The two sides also discussed the possibility of a meeting on the sidelines of the UN General Assembly in New York to find a new dynamism to reactivate peace in the region.
Solana arrived in Beirut after stops in Syria, Israel and the Palestinian territories. He is scheduled to meet with Lebanese major leaders before leaving for Egypt.