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Lebanon Prime Minister says ‘country’s spring is near’

March 13, 2023 at 6:35 pm

Lebanese Prime Minister Najib Mikati​ in Beirut, Lebanon on October 11, 2022 [Hussam Shbaro/Anadolu Agency]

Caretaker Prime Minister, Najib Mikati, voiced hope Monday that crisis-stricken Lebanon would soon exit its current difficult situation, Anadolu News Agency reports.

“Lebanon’s spring is near, God willing,” Mikati told reporters, before meeting with Maronite Patriarch, Mar Beshara Boutros Al-Rahi.

Following the meeting, Mikati said he briefed the Patriarch over his contacts on the election of a new president for Lebanon.

Prime Minister Najib Mikati: Lebanon heading towards collapse - Cartoon [Sabaaneh/Middle East Monitor]

Prime Minister Najib Mikati: Lebanon heading towards collapse – Cartoon [Sabaaneh/Middle East Monitor]

“Without a political solution, it is not possible for Lebanon to exit the current crisis,” Mikati said.

Hopes have run high across Lebanon following the resumption of diplomatic relations between regional arch-foes, Iran and Saudi Arabia. Both countries have influence over Lebanon’s political rivals.

Many observers believe that the Saudi-Iranian rapprochement will lead to ending the current political stalemate in Lebanon.

Since 2019, Lebanon has been facing a crippling economic crisis that, according to the World Bank, is one of the worst the world has seen in modern times.

The country has been unable to elect a new president since October 2022 to replace former President, Michel Aoun, amid differences among political rivals.

Lebanon has also been without a fully functioning government since May last year, with Mikati and his Cabinet having limited powers in their current caretaker status.

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