UN Security Council hails formation of new Lebanese government?

UNITED NATIONS (Xinhua) - The UN Security Council on Saturday welcomed the formation of a new government in Lebanon, saying the 15 council members "looked forward to the constructive engagement of this government with the international community."


"The members of the Security Council welcomed the formation of a new government in Lebanon in order to respond effectively to the many political, security, humanitarian and development challenges facing Lebanon," said a statement issued to the press here by the Security Council.ʉ۬

"They looked forward to the constructive engagement of this government with the international community in particular the International Support Group to mobilize support for Lebanon," the statement said.

Earlier Saturday, a new government led by new prime minister Salam was formed in Lebanon,  after a 10-month deadlock.   â€¨

The new government announcement was the result of a compromise reached by the pro-Syrian March 8 camp and the opposition March 14 camp, and witnessed a complete shuffle in the portfolios.


Salam, born in 1945, is a centrist politician whose father was a long time prime minister, and he is considered close to former prime minister Saad Hariri.


"The members of the Security Council stressed that effective implementation of SCR (Security Council Resolution) 1701 and other relevant Security Council resolutions remains crucial to ensuring stability in Lebanon," the statement said.


Resolution 1701, which ended the 2006 war between Israel and the Lebanese group Hizbollah, calls for respect for the Blue Line, the disarming of all militias in Lebanon, and an end to arms smuggling in the area.


The council members "underlined the need for the government to uphold Lebanon's long standing democratic tradition in particular in ensuring that presidential elections will take place within the constitutional framework," the statement said.