Caretaker Prime Minister Najib Mikati (center) surrounded by his predecessors, Tammam Salam (right) and Fouad Siniora. Photo released by the Grand Serail.
Lebanese caretaker Prime Minister Najib Mikati received two of his predecessors, Tammam Salam (February 2014 - December 2016) and Fouad Siniora (July 2005 - November 2009), at the Grand Serail on Thursday afternoon.
According to Salam, the former prime ministers came to show their "solidarity" with Mikati and express their "support in these circumstances where we desperately need the combined efforts of all to save the country." The three did not detail the specific topics they discussed.
Lebanon has been grappling with a severe socio-economic crisis since 2019, coupled with internal political tensions that have paralyzed the presidential election and the renewal of the government, which has been caretaker since May 2022. The country has also been affected by the ripple effects of the Gaza war, which has spilled over into southern Lebanon, where Hezbollah and Israel exchange fire daily.