Lebanon will form government 'despite obstacles' - foreign minister
Lebanon will definitely form a new government despite the obstacles, its caretaker foreign minister said on Wednesday, after President Michel Aoun intervened in the stalled process and warned of a "catastrophe" if his efforts failed.
"Partnership between the president and the prime minister along with the national consensus will certainly lead to the formation of a new government, despite all obstacles," Gebran Bassil, Aoun's son-in-law and head of the political party he founded, told an investment conference in London.
Prime Minister-designate Saad al-Hariri, also attending the conference, told reporters, said he was "always optimistic" when asked about the prospects of forming a new government following seven months of political wrangling. In Beirut, Parliament Speaker Nabih Berri said he was "optimistic for the possibility of a solution soon", according to a member of parliament from his own party.
