
A Lebanese government was formed on Friday after a 13-month impasse as the country grapples with one of the worst crises in its history, the Presidency announced, according to AFP.
The announcement followed a meeting between Prime Minister-designate Najib Mikati and President Michel Aoun.
Mikati, Lebanon's prime minister for the third time and the country's richest man, made a statement from the presidency in which he vowed to leave no stone unturned in efforts to rescue the country.
"We will make use of every second to call international bodies and ensure the basic everyday life needs," he said, adding his government would also turn to Arab countries for help.
Mikati, who was designated as prime minister in July after his two predecessors failed to clinch an agreement on a new line-up, unveiled his list of ministers.
The newcomers include many technocrats but each minister was endorsed by one or several of the factions that have dominated Lebanese politics since the 1975-1990 civil war.
Mikati took on the task of forming a new government in late July, days after fellow veteran politician Saad Hariri threw in the towel.
Hariri gave up the post when he failed to reach an agreement with Aoun on a Cabinet.
Lebanon has not had a government since the previous Cabinet resigned following the deadly port explosion that rocked the capital of Beirut last August. Over 200 people were killed in the blast, which also left thousands injured and devastated much of the city.
Aoun tasked Hariri with forming a new government this past October. Hariri had previously served as Prime Minister, but resigned in 2019 following a wave of protests, which at times turned violent.
Mikati previously served as Lebanon’s Prime Minister from 2011 to 2014. In 2013, he resigned from the post citing divisions on several issues.
(Arutz Sheva’s North American desk is keeping you updated until the start of Shabbat in New York. The time posted automatically on all Arutz Sheva articles, however, is Israeli time.)