Prime Minister-designate Saad Hariri on Monday thanked all parliamentary blocs for their “great cooperation” regarding the cabinet formation process.

“Everyone agreed that we must speed up the government formation due to the regional and economic challenges that we are facing in the country and undoubtedly everyone's objective is to improve the national economy and strengthen state institutions,” Hariri said at the end of his one-day, unbinding consultations with parliamentary blocs.

Prime Minister-designate Saad Hariri announced Thursday after he was tasked with forming a new Cabinet that his government would abide by Lebanon's declared policy of distancing itself from regional conflicts.

“I will embark on the mission of forming the government, knowing that all the influential blocs have agreed on the need to form a national unity government as soon as possible in light of the pressing financial and external situations,” Hariri said in an address to the nation after his designation.

The recently imposed sanctions on Hizbullah might “expedite” the government formation process rather than delay it, caretaker Prime Minister Saad Hariri announced Tuesday.

“There is a decision to speed up the government formation and I believe that the sanctions on Hizbullah might expedite the formation process rather than delay it,” Hariri told LBCI television.

The latest meeting between Prime Minister Saad Hariri and Lebanese Forces leader Samir Geageaa “has turned the page on the disagreement of the past months” between the two parties, an LF official said.

Geagea “wanted the meeting to be the beginning of a new and productive political phase that can improve people's lives and restore confidence with the formation of the new government, after benefiting from the positive shock that was created by the elections,” LF spokesman Charles Jabbour told Asharq al-Awsat newspaper in remarks published Sunday.

Prime Minister Saad Hariri was quick to congratulate Lebanese filmmaker Nadine Labaki on winning one of the top prizes at the Cannes festival overnight Saturday.

“Congratulations to the director Nadine Labaki and all the crew of the film Capernaum on winning the Jury Prize at the Cannes cinema festival,” Hariri tweeted.

Prime Minister Saad Hariri on Thursday called on Iran to release Nizar Zakka, a Lebanese IT expert and advocate of Internet freedom who has been sentenced in Tehran to ten years in jail on espionage-related charges, media reports said.

Zakka has a green card and was a permanent resident of the United States.

Prime Minister Saad Hariri on Wednesday boasted that his government made several “achievements” during its term.

“This government has made achievements that previous government had failed to make and this is due to the election of President (Michel) Aoun,” Hariri said during a cabinet session which could be his government's last.

Prime Minister Saad Hariri voted Sunday at the Shakib Arslan School in Verdun, Beirut, and reassured that he does not fear a security deterioration after the parliamentary elections.

While waiting for his turn, Hariri said in response to a question: “Order is nice.”

Prime Minister Saad Hariri, the leader of al-Mustaqbal Movement, carried out an electoral tour in Tripoli on Friday, nine days before the May 6 parliamentary elections.

Hariri kicked off his tour by meeting Labor Minister and Tripoli MP Mohammed Kabbara, in the presence of MP Samir al-Jisr, Tripoli parliamentary candidate Dima Jamali, el-Mina municipal chief Abdul Qader Alameddine and a number of Tripolitan businessmen and families.

Prime Minister Saad Hariri has launched an app to share selfies with his supporters as he campaigns for re-election in the country's first parliamentary polls in almost a decade.