Lebanon formed a new government on February 8, following unusually direct interference by the United States in the process and in a step that should bring the country closer to accessing reconstruction funds after the devastating war between Israel and Hezbollah.
Speaking to reporters at the presidential palace on Saturday, new Prime Minister Nawaf Salam said the 24-member government would prioritize financial reforms, reconstruction and implementation of a United Nations resolution considered a cornerstone of stability on Lebanon's border with Israel, Reuters reports.
The announcement followed more than three weeks of talks with rival political parties in Lebanon, where government posts are divided by religious affiliation, and a stalemate over Shiite Muslim ministers, who are usually appointed by Iran-backed Hezbollah and its Shiite ally the Amal party.
But Washington has opposed Hezbollah's influence in each new government.
US Deputy Middle East Envoy Morgan Ortagus said on Friday that the US considers Hezbollah's involvement in the new government a "red line" and thanked Israel for dealing devastating blows to the group, in a controversial statement that sparked protests in Lebanon.
But in the end, Hezbollah's allies - the Amal party, led by parliament speaker Nabih Berri, were allowed to choose four members of the new government, including Finance Minister Yassin Jaber, and give their approval to a fifth.
The cabinet is now tasked with drafting a policy statement, a general outline of the approach and priorities of the future government, and will then need a vote of confidence from the Lebanese parliament to gain full powers.
Lebanese President Joseph Aoun, who enjoyed US support as army commander, was elected president on January 9 and nominated Salam to form a new government a few days later. Salam had been the head of the International Court of Justice.
Salam's nomination was the latest signal of a dramatic shift in the balance of power in Lebanon, following heavy blows dealt to Hezbollah by Israel, the ouster of Hezbollah's Syrian ally Bashar al-Assad in December, and last month's election of President Aoun.
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