Miqati Stresses Openness and Dialogue, Says Keen on Good Ties with U.S.
Prime Minister-designate Najib Miqati stressed on openness and dialogue and said he was comfortable at the local atmosphere and the prospect of ties with the Arab world and the international community.
In remarks to An Nahar and al-Hayat newspapers on Thursday, Miqati described regional and international reactions to his mission as “very good.”
He said he will continue to adopt the policy of openness and dialogue during the consultations with parliamentary blocs to form a new government.
In an interview with CNN on Wednesday night, Miqati said he was keen on having good ties with the U.S., saying the primary objective of his government will be to establish good relations with the international community.
Washington has warned of effects on relations after the billionaire businessman was named premier-designate.
Miqati said he was seeking to cooperate with all Lebanese parties and end the country’s political crisis. While welcoming the participation of March 14 forces and former Premier Saad Hariri in his cabinet, he told CNN he would form a technocrat or a mixed technocrat-politicians government.
Asked about the assassination of ex-Premier Rafik Hariri, Miqati described it as a very delicate issue that should be solved through dialogue and consensus.
Also Wednesday, Miqati confirmed that forming a technocrat government is “one of the options, but it’s not the only one.”
In an interview with OTV, the PM-designate noted that he will not bind himself to a deadline in forming Lebanon’s new cabinet.
“I don’t see the mission of forming a government as impossible and all pending issues will be discussed inside institutions in a bid to find consensual solutions,” Miqati told his interviewer.
He said if March 14 agreed to take part in his cabinet, he did not oppose to allocating the coalition one–third-plus-one of the seats, which would grant them veto power.
“I support the slogan of ‘no victor no vanquished,’” Miqati said.
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