Lebanon's council of ministers held its first meeting at the Presidential Palace in Baabda on Wednesday, after its formation over the weekend, and formed a committee designed to draft a new ministerial statement, media reports said.

The cabinet which brought together the entire political spectrum except for the Kataeb party, that rejected the portfolio it was offered, had a commemorative photo taken in the presence of the three senior officials President Michel Aoun, Speaker Nabih Berri and Prime Minister Saad Hariri.

Prime Minister Saad Hariri assumed his duties at the Grand Serail on Tuesday, two days after a new cabinet was lined-up.

Hariri arrived at noon at the Grand Serail and was welcomed by the Secretary-General of the Council of Ministers Fouad Fleifel, and senior government staff at the Grand Serail that lies in downtown Beirut .

British Minister for the Middle East Tobias Ellwood welcomed on Tuesday the formation of Lebanon's new cabinet reiterating the need to hold the parliamentary elections on time in line with international standards.

“I congratulate President Aoun and Prime Minister Hariri on the formation of Lebanon’s new cabinet. This is another important step forward for Lebanon, and I hope agreement of the cabinet further strengthens the trust and confidence of the Lebanese in their country’s political process,” a press statement said Tuesday.

The General Security arrested a Lebanese man suspected of having links to terror groups and of luring the youths through social media to work in their favor, LBCI reported Tuesday.

The suspect, who was identified by his initials as T.Sh, was subject to interrogations where he confessed to having ties to terror groups in Syria and of providing them with financial and logistical support under the guise of relief and humanitarian work, added LBCI.

Speaker Nabih Berri said on Tuesday that forming the cabinet reflects well on the overall situation in the country and added that the political parties must focus now on approving the state budget and devising a new electoral law, al-Joumhouria daily reported Tuesday.

Berri expressed content with lining up the cabinet, he told the daily: “The country is the sole winner here. There are no winners or losers.”

The Lebanese Armed Forces received on Monday an armed Cessna aircraft from the United States as part of a vital aspect of the cooperation between the two countries.

“U.S. Ambassador to Lebanon Elizabeth Richard participated in a ceremony to celebrate the delivery of an armed Cessna aircraft to the Lebanese Armed Forces (LAF), highlighting the U.S. commitment to Lebanon’s security,” a US embassy statement said.

The members of the International Support Group for Lebanon welcomed the cabinet formation and congratulated Prime Minister Saad Hariri and his cabinet, a statement said Monday.

“The members of the ISG hope that the positive momentum created with the election of a president and the formation of a government can be maintained and capitalized on. This is a much-needed opportunity for the Lebanese leadership to reactivate state institutions and fulfill the hopes and aspirations of the Lebanese people, by addressing the urgent challenges Lebanon faces,” said the statement.

U.S. Ambassador to Lebanon Elizabeth Richard welcomed on Monday the formation of a new government in Lebanon.

“I want to personally congratulate Prime Minister Hariri and commend him on forming a government,” Ambassador Richard said.

The United Nations Secretary-General Ban Ki-moon welcomed on Monday the formation of the new cabinet and congratulated Prime Minister Saad Hariri on the swift process and national accord in Lebanon.

The Secretary-General welcomes today’s announcement of the formation of a new government of national accord in Lebanon. He congratulates Prime Minister Saad Hariri on the swift process and encourages Lebanon’s political leaders to build on the momentum of national unity, a statement said.

The first cabinet under the tenure of President Michel Aoun was formed on Sunday, 45 days after the designation of PM Saad Hariri for the task with the aim of approving a new election law to hold the upcoming parliamentary election slated in May 2017 on time.

The new government did not take a lot of time to be shaped, although the formation process witnessed some delay, compared to other governments which took from 6 to 11 months to form, media reports said.