Lebanon .. Aoun calls the new government to reassure the Lebanese and Diab describes it as a rescue government

Lebanese President Michel Aoun said today that there is a need to work to restore the confidence of the international community and reassure the Lebanese about their future, during his presidency of the first session of the new government, while Prime Minister Hassan Diab stated that his government is a national rescue government, not a political or a specific team.

The Prime Minister said that Lebanon is experiencing an economic catastrophe, and stressed the holding of successive sessions to draft the ministerial statement, and accomplish it as soon as possible, indicating that the dismissal of the Governor of the Banque du Liban Riad Salameh is not currently possible.

Diab also stressed that the popular movement has all the right to the demanding side, but he said that the negative part of the movement does not serve him, and the Secretary-General of the Council of Ministers quoted Diab as saying that the Lebanese people have the right to protest against what he described as the regression path in the country, but the reform is still captive to the tensions Political.

Standards
Diab stressed - at a press conference in Baabda Palace in Beirut - that the new government structure is made up of specialists and talented people, and is not affected by political whims, adding that he set specific standards for the government work team, which is made up of 19 ministers, including six women.

Parliament Speaker Nabih Berri joined a meeting that included President Aoun and Prime Minister Diab, before the start of the government session.

Soon after leaving the presidential palace after the meeting, Berri responded to a reporter's question about his optimism about the new government, saying, "The media is not optimistic, but I am optimistic."

Hizbullah and its allies, headed by the Free Movement, formed the new government without the participation of major parties, most notably the Future Movement led by Saad Hariri, the Lebanese Forces Party, and the Progressive Socialist Party.

Protests
On the other hand, Al-Jazeera correspondent in Lebanon confirmed the continued closure of protesters over the formation of the new government, a number of roads in the North and Bekaa provinces in the south.

In the center of Beirut, calm prevails surrounding the parliament, and Anatolia news agency reported that protesters against the new government squad have closed most of the roads in West Beirut this morning, while the army has reopened the road linking the capital and the south at the Jiyeh area after protesters have closed it.

After the first meeting of the new government in Lebanon, French President Emmanuel Macron said today that his country will do everything to help Lebanon out of its deep crisis.

A statement by the spokesman for the United Nations Secretary-General, António Guterres, said that the Secretary-General will work with Diab to support reforms, stressing the United Nations' commitment to support Lebanon's sovereignty, stability and political independence.

It is noteworthy that the formation of the new government came after the resignation of former Prime Minister Saad Al-Hariri last October 29, under the pressure of continuous popular protests since the beginning of the same month, and the demand for the departure of the ruling political class, accountability for spoilers, and early parliamentary elections.