Lebanese PM-designate Salam calls for unity, commits to reconstruction
BEIRUT – Lebanon’s Prime Minister-designate Nawaf Salam said on Tuesday his hands are extended to everyone, and that he opposes exclusion and supports unity.
On Monday, Lebanese President Joseph Aoun summoned Nawaf Salam to designate him prime minister after most lawmakers nominated him.
Salam, who was serving as president of the International Court of Justice before his designation as prime minister, cited priorities including rebuilding Lebanon from last year’s devastating war.
“Reconstruction isn’t just a promise, but a commitment, and this requires complete implementation of U.N. Resolution 1701, implementation of all articles of the ceasefire, and imposing the full withdrawal of the Israeli enemy from every inch” of Lebanon, Salam said.
He added that he would work for justice for the victims of the 2020 Beirut port explosion, and for depositors whose savings have been frozen inside the Lebanese financial system since its collapse in 2019.
“It is time to begin a new chapter, one that we want to be rooted in justice, security, progress, and opportunity,” Salam said after meeting President Joseph Aoun.
Aoun’s election and the designation of a new premier are steps towards reviving Lebanese government institutions, which have been paralysed for more than two years, with the country having neither a head of state nor a fully empowered cabinet.
The new administration faces huge tasks, including rebuilding areas levelled by “Israeli” airstrikes, and launching long-stalled reforms to revive the economy.
