The Lebanese Prime Minister, Nawaf Salam. (Credit: NNA.)
The Lebanese Prime Minister Nawaf Salam declared on Monday, after a meeting with Parliament Speaker Nabih Berri, that the meeting was positive, emphasizing that "the government is committed to respecting what is stated in the ministerial declaration and has not taken any measures outside of it."
Less than a week after its formation, the government had finalized its ministerial declaration, notably omitting the term "resistance" for the first time in over twenty years. This term, referring to Hezbollah's arsenal, had been included in previous declarations under pressure from the party and its allies. In March, Salam had stated that the ministerial declaration marked a turning point on the issue of Hezbollah's weapons.
Asked about his relationship with the Prime Minister in the context of recent tensions between Hezbollah and the Prime Minister, Nabih Berri said: "If he raises his voice, we will do the same. If he calms things down, we will follow suit." In response to these remarks, Salam joked on Monday: "We are not a weather station, we do not cool things down nor heat them up either."
"Cordiality" with Mohammad Raad and Hezbollah
Concerning his relations with Hezbollah, and in reaction to statements from the head of the Shiite party's parliamentary bloc, Mohammad Raad, the Prime Minister also declared: "I leave a lot of room for cordiality with Mohammad Raad, and I welcome him, as well as Hezbollah. My door is always open." Asked last Tuesday by journalists about Salam's statements regarding his party, Mohammad Raad preferred "not to comment for the sake of preserving what remains of our affection" towards the Prime Minister.
"Thanks to the Prime Minister's cordiality. We will see him as soon as possible and share our views on the interests of the people and the country," Raad reacted Monday on Hezbollah's channel, al-Manar.
In an interview on the al-Jadeed channel Sunday night, Finance Minister Yassine Jaber stated that the tensions between Salam and the Hezbollah-Amal alliance will "calm down," and that this issue must be resolved because the government is facing "crucial challenges."
Seven billion for reconstruction
Regarding the issue of weapons, Salam emphasized on Monday that it is "clearly mentioned in the ministerial declaration and that everyone is attached to it, similar to the adherence to the Taif Agreement and the extension of the state's authority over the entire territory."
Asked about his recent comment that "the era of exporting the Iranian revolution is over," the Prime Minister said he does not know if the Iranians themselves are still talking about exporting the revolution, which justifies in his view that "this language belongs to the past."
Regarding the reconstruction issue, which has become a key matter following the recent war between Hezbollah and Israel and the massive destruction it caused, Salam stressed that "the government needs more than $7 billion," noting that "World Bank estimates approach $14 billion."
"Our ambition at the Washington meeting [last April] was to obtain $250 million from the World Bank, and that's what we obtained, along with $75 million from the French," he added. Finally, Salam emphasized "the government's commitment to rebuilding what was destroyed by the Israeli aggression."