President Michel Suleiman on Monday hoped the European Union will “reconsider” its decision to blacklist Hizbullah's military wing as caretaker Prime Minister Najib Miqati stressed Lebanon's respect for international legitimacy.

Suleiman hoped the EU “will reconsider its decision, out of keenness on avoiding hasty decisions and to preserve stability in Lebanon and protect the essential choices that are being discussed by the national dialogue committee, which are mainly about the stipulations of the Baabda Declaration and the president's vision for the national defense strategy.”

Israeli Justice Minister Tzipi Livni praised the EU decision Monday to blacklist Hizbullah's armed wing, which she said made clear that the party is a "terrorist organization".

"I welcome this announcement by the EU, that Hizbullah is now included in the list of terrorist organizations," said Livni.

European Union foreign ministers agreed Monday to blacklist Hizbullah's armed wing, holding it responsible for terror attacks in Europe.

"It is good that the EU has decided to call Hizbullah what it is: a terrorist organization," said Dutch Foreign Minister Frans Timmermans.

Hizbullah chief Sayyed Hassan Nasrallah on Friday said that all Lebanese regions are going through a “new security situation,” noting that Hizbullah is willing to engage in national dialogue over a national defense strategy “without any preconditions.”

“There's no doubt that we're going through a new security situation,” Nasrallah said in a televised address during the annual iftar banquet held by the Islamic Resistance Support Association.

Lebanese Forces leader Samir Geagea lamented on Friday the weakening of the Lebanese state and its institutions, blaming the spread of illegitimate arms for the deterioration of the state of affairs in the country.

He said: “We are fed up with lies. Those who claim to love the army should lay down their illegitimate weapons.”

The Humanities (LH) secondary school official exam results were released on Thursday.

They can be checked on the following page: http://www.naharnet.com/exam

An official of the rebel Free Syrian Army, Louay al-Meqdad, has rejected the assassination of a pro-government Syrian journalist, saying he should have faced court instead of elimination.

In remarks to An Nahar newspaper published on Thursday, al-Meqdad said that the punishment of Mohammed Darrar Jammo “without a fair trial is a crime.”

The General Science (SG) and Life Science (SV) secondary school official exam results were released on Wednesday.

They can be checked on the following page: http://www.naharnet.com/exam

Iran's president-elect has sent messages to Syria's Bashar Assad and Hizbullah, reaffirming support for the two allies.

The official IRNA news agency on Tuesday cited Hassan Rowhani as saying close Iranian-Syrian ties will be able to confront "enemies in the region, especially the Zionist regime," or Israel.

President Michel Suleiman said on Tuesday that he hopes he will be able to call for a national dialogue session “soon” to discuss the defense strategy and find solutions to the current political crises.

“Launching serious and all-encompassing dialogue sessions and supporting the state are among the Lebanese people's goals. This dream can come true if wills and capabilities were united,” Suleiman said at an Iftar banquet in Baabda Palace.