Prime Minister Saad Hariri during a visit to south of Lebanon on Friday affirmed commitment to UN resolution 1701 and stressed that the Lebanese army is the sole legitimate force entitled to defend the country's border.

“We thank our troops and tell them that they are, and only they, are the legitimate force in charge of defending our border,” Hariri told reporters.

Prime Minister Saad Hariri held talks Tuesday in Clemenceau with Progressive Socialist Party leader MP Walid Jumblat in the presence of ex-health minister Wael Abu Faour.

Prime Minister Saad Hariri stressed on Tuesday that Lebanon needs to regain confidence and for that end it should reactivate the State's institutions and end corruption.

“Our duty is to regain confidence after years of constitutional vacuum, deadlock in institutions, vertical political divide, tension in Arab and international relations and bleakness in economy and investments,” a statement released by Hariri's media office said.

Prime Minister Saad Hariri announced Friday that his al-Mustaqbal Movement is “open to all electoral law formats,” including full proportional representation.

Prime Minister Saad Hariri on Wednesday urged the international community to invest in Lebanon and to launch programs for the Syrian refugees aimed at creating a stable future while warning that the current situation in Lebanon is like a “ticking time bomb.”

After meeting French President Francoise Hollande in France, Prime Minister Saad Hariri continued his European tour and arrived in Berlin Monday evening for talks with German Chancellor Angela Merkel.

Talks with Merkel focused on the latest developments in Lebanon and the region including the burden of Syrian refugees in Lebanon that will be highlighted during a Brussels conference on Syria's future starting today.

French President Francois Hollande on Monday decorated Prime Minister Saad Hariri with the insignia of Commander in the Legion of Honor over his contributions to Lebanon in the past decade, telling him that Lebanon “can always count on France's assistance and support.”

Prime Minister Saad Hariri has reportedly received an invitation to visit Saudi Arabia, al-Akhbar daily reported on Wednesday.

Sources close to Hariri confirmed that he would accept the invitation, but would be keen that King Salman bin Abdul Aziz is present in Riyadh when he heads there.

Prime Minister Saad Hariri stressed Tuesday that Central Bank Governor Riad Salameh should remain in his post as he promised imminent breakthroughs regarding the stalled electoral law and the electricity plan.

Prime Minister Saad Hariri on Monday chaired at the Grand Serail a Cabinet meeting focused on the draft state budget.