The appointment of Saad Hariri as Prime Minister‑designate of Lebanon is another important step.

Rapid progress must now be made towards forming a government, so that the Lebanese institutions will soon again be capable of action. The challenges that Lebanon faces are immense, and reforms are urgently needed.

Now, there is finally again reason to hope these challenges can be tackled and mastered by Lebanon’s state institutions.

I congratulate Saad Hariri on his appointment.

Great recognition for the work of the past two years is due to Prime Minister Tammam Salam. It is thanks to his tireless efforts to maintain stability that Lebanon was able to peacefully weather the presidential crisis.