Arab League chief urges accelerating efforts to form cabinet in Lebanon

Cairo, Aug 29 The Cairo-based Arab League's (AL) Secretary-General Ahmed Aboul-Gheit has called for accelerating efforts to form a cabinet in Lebanon that will implement the necessary reforms immediately.

In a statement on Saturday, Aboul-Gheit stressed that this step will enable the Arab and international community to engage effectively in "saving Lebanon", reports Xinhua news agency.

Aboul-Gheit noted that he received the Lebanese Prime Minister-designate Najib Mikati's appeal to the AL to continue supporting Lebanon, wishing Mikati success in forming a cabinet.

The Arab country has been without a cabinet since August 10, 2020 when caretaker Prime Minister Hassan Diab resigned in reaction to the Beirut port's blasts which killed over 200 people and wounded thousands of others.

Saad Hariri was appointed as the prime minister on October 22, 2020, but he failed to form a new cabinet given his differences with President Michel Aoun over ministers.

Lebanon has been going through the worst economic and financial crisis in its history and the political vacuum during the past year contributed to worsening the country's multiple woes.