In the past few days, a debate has taken place at different political levels mainly between Baabda Palace and Ain el-Tineh that focused on the need for an “urgent government momentum and effectiveness” as soon as the PM recovers from a heart operation he underwent early this week, al-Joumhouria daily reported on Thursday.

Lebanon said on Wednesday it wanted to follow the example of eastern EU states that have largely rejected refugees as a way of resolving its own refugee crisis.

Foreign Minister Jebran Bassil sympathised with the Czech Republic, Hungary, Poland and Slovakia's refusal to accept refugee distribution quotas proposed by the EU in the wake of the 2015-16 migrant crisis, when more than a million people streamed into Europe, mostly from war-torn Syria.

A war of words erupted again between the Lebanese Forces and Free Patriotic Movement over the controversial electricity file.

President Michel Aoun concluded his visit to Moscow on Wednesday where he held talks with Russian President Vladimir Putin and several Russian officials, said the National News Agency on Wednesday.

On Tuesday, Aoun held talks in Moscow with his Russian counterpart during which he thanked him for “defending” the Christians of the Middle East.

The Association of Lebanese Industrialists (ALI) declared on Wednesday a “state of industrial emergency,” while Industry Minister Wael Abou Faour said the sector is “stricken with a catastrophe.”

Following the two-day visit of US Secretary of State Mike Pompeo to Lebanon, Speaker Nabih Berri said the visit was “non beneficial” for Lebanon and described the US positions as “consistent” with Israel, al-Joumhouria daily reported on Wednesday.

President Michel Aoun agreed with Russian President Vladimir Putin and other Russian officials to “activate tripartite Lebanese-Russian-Syrian action to secure the return of Syrian refugees” to their country, Lebanese TV networks reported on Tuesday.

“Moscow is seeing the success of its initiative on the return of refugees, seeing as most areas in Syria have become capable of receiving them,” OTV, which is affiliated with Aoun's Free Patriotic Movement, reported.

U.S. Secretary of State Mike Pompeo's visit to Lebanon carried a “double message,” al-Mustaqbal parliamentary bloc said on Tuesday.

The first message was about “the growing U.S. pressure on Iran” and the second was about “the United States' intention to maintain its support for Lebanese state institutions, topped by the army and the Internal Security Forces,” the bloc said in a statement issued after its weekly meeting.

Hizbullah chief Sayyed Hassan Nasrallah on Tuesday dissected the statement that U.S. Secretary of State Mike Pompeo recited during his visit to Lebanon, saying the U.S. official's main objective was to “incite the Lebanese against each other.”

“There is no problem in any additional sanctions,” Nasrallah said in a televised speech dedicated to commenting to Pompeo's visit and U.S. President Donald Trump's recognition of the Golan Heights as being part of Israel.

President Michel Aoun on Tuesday held talks in Moscow with his Russian counterpart Vladimir Putin during which he thanked him for “defending” the Christians of the Middle East.

“We thank you for your stances that defend the Christian minorities in the Levant and we hope you will continue this help,” Aoun told Putin during the Kremlin meeting.