Britain's Hague says UK will continue to support Lebanese authorities

British foreign secretary William Hague congratulated Prime Minister Tammam Salam for the formation of a new cabinet, praising the efforts exerted by former Prime Minister Najib Mikati in a bid to maintain Lebanon's stability.      

"The UK looks forward to working with Salam's government in order to meet challenges by holding the presidential elections on time, maintaining security and fighting terrorism," he said.        

Hague also stressed that the UK will continue to fully support the Lebanese authorities in order to achieve peace and prosperity on the local and regional levels.

Lebanon announced a new government on Saturday, breaking more than 10 months of political deadlock during which spillover of violence from neighboring Syria worsened internal instability.
   
A caretaker government has run the country since former Prime Minister Najib Mikati resigned in March as parties aligned with the Shi'ite Hezbollah movement and a Sunni-led rival bloc pursued a power struggle exacerbated by their support for opposing sides in Syria's almost three-year-old civil war.
   
"A government in the national interest was formed in a spirit of inclusivity," new Prime Minister Tammam Salam declared on live television.
   
He said he hoped the new government would allow Lebanon to hold presidential elections before President Michel Sleiman's mandate expires in May and finally conduct parliamentary polls that were postponed last year due to the political impasse.


LBCI/REUTERS