Nawaf Salam receives congratulations after getting parliamentary confidence

After gaining the confidence of the Lebanese Parliament, with 95 favorable votes out of 128 deputies, the new Prime Minister Nawaf Salam received a long series of congratulations and well-wishes from many Lebanese and international political leaders.

The first foreign head of state to congratulate Salam was the Crown Prince and de facto ruler of Saudi Arabia, Mohammad bin Salman, who sent him a letter of congratulations, reported the official Saudi Press Agency (SPA) on Wednesday evening. A statement published Thursday morning on the National News Agency (NNA) confirmed the Grand Serail's press office had received the Saudi prince's message.

'More progress and prosperity'

The Crown Prince expressed his “sincere congratulations” and “wishes for success and prosperity” to Salam. He also wished the Lebanese people “more progress and prosperity.” Saudi Arabia had significantly reduced its support for Lebanon in recent years due to the rise of Hezbollah. However, the party emerged weakened after its military confrontation with Israel and the fall of its ally Bashar al-Assad in Syria, which facilitated Joseph Aoun's election on Jan. 9 (Washington and Riyadh's favored candidate) as President of Lebanon after more than two years of deadlock.

Just over a month ago, the Saudi Foreign Minister Faisal bin Farhan visited Beirut, marking the first visit by a Saudi Foreign Minister to Lebanon in 15 years. From Baabda, he assured that his country “stands by Lebanon” and expressed “confidence” in the new leaders' ability to implement reforms.

Aoun is scheduled to visit Saudi Arabia this Sunday for his first trip abroad since his election, according to a high-ranking diplomatic source contacted by L’Orient-Le Jour.

Congratulations from Aoun and Hezbollah

In the Lebanese sphere, Aoun was the first to congratulate the new Parliament, praising “the government, its leader and its members” for gaining the confidence of the MPs before thanking “the Parliament, its leader and its members for fulfilling this constitutional duty.”

“I appreciate the confidence of the MPs who granted it and respect the position of those who did not,” he said, referring to the 12 votes against and four abstentions recorded during the vote.

In a joint statement, the Hezbollah and Amal movement leaderships also “welcomed the confidence given by Parliament to the new government” and “urged it to intensify its efforts by focusing on rebuilding infrastructure destroyed by the Israeli aggression in the affected regions,” as well as “launch rehabilitation projects and follow up on the situation of the displaced, particularly those from the frontline villages,” the statement said.

Former Lebanese President Michel Sleiman also expressed joy over the confidence granted by the MPs, adding that it must be accompanied by “the citizens' confidence in their state and each other.” “This confidence must, of course, be reinforced by combating the smuggling of weapons, money, people, drugs and goods ... in addition to preventing Lebanon from becoming a tax haven,” he added.

The Grand Mufti of the Republic, the highest Sunni religious authority in Lebanon, Abdellatif Derian, called Salam following the parliamentary session to express his “wishes for success in advancing the country.”

Other figures and political groups also congratulated the new Grand Serail occupant. Among them, former minister and dean of the Maronite General Council, Wadih al-Khazen, hailed this favorable outcome “at a sensitive and delicate moment in Lebanon's history, where the country faces unprecedented challenges on various economic, financial and social fronts, in addition to a complex political situation requiring exceptional efforts and strong will to emerge from the current crisis.”