President Michel Suleiman urged Arab leaders on Tuesday to preserve minorities in their countries, saying Lebanon's newly-elected Greek Orthodox patriarch faces a tough task of defending Christians in the region.

“We congratulate the Lebanese and Arabs on the election of the new patriarch,” Suleiman told reporters at Our Lady of Balamand Monastery following a short meeting with Patriarch Youhanna X.

HSBC Bank won a tender to carry out maintenance work at Zouk and Jiyeh power plants instead of providing the funds from the state's treasury, al-Akhbar newspaper reported on Tuesday.

According to the newspaper, the tender that was issued by the Energy Ministry is aimed at rehabilitating the two power plants that will be able to produce additional 272 megawatts at the cost of around $350 million.

Internal Security Forces chief Maj. Gen. Ashraf Rifi has said he accepted a proposal to extend his term but only for a transitional period, stressing that he rejected staying in office until his retirement age.

Al-Akhbar newspaper quoted, Rifi, 59, as saying that he agreed to extend his term for a year or two when President Michel Suleiman and ex-Premier Saad Hariri suggested the extension to him.

Progressive Socialist Party leader MP Walid Jumblat said on Tuesday that the large number of Syrian and Palestinian refugees entering Lebanon from the neighboring country became a burden on the state, urging the government to double its efforts to confront the humanitarian crisis.

According to As Safir newspaper, Jumblat called during talks with French Foreign Minister Laurent Fabius in Paris on Monday on the competent international agencies to cooperate to aid Lebanon in this matter.

The Lebanese opposition is planning to recognize Syria's National Coalition by the end of the year to set the stage for ties with “the future regime of Syria,” March 14 general-secretariat coordinator Fares Soaid and An Nahar daily said on Tuesday.

Soaid told An Nahar that it was necessary to reach understandings on the common border, mutual interests and previous agreements with the next regime in Syria.

Former Prime Minister Saad Hariri said on Monday that the March 14 alliance will not participate in any dialogue session unless it discusses Hizbullah's arms.

Hariri took to Twitter to respond to Hizbullah leader Sayyed Hassan Nasrallah's Sunday speech, accusing him of always seeking to “abandon the constitutional institutions”.

The United States on Monday named former information minister Michel Samaha a "specially designated global terrorist" for allegedly aiding the regime of Syrian President Bashar Assad to launch attacks in Lebanon.

The U.S. Department of the Treasury issued a statement saying that Samaha, pursuant to Executive Order (E.O.) 13441 which targets persons "undermining Lebanese sovereignty, including those who are supporting attempts by the Assad regime to incite violence inside Lebanon", is now a Specially Designated Global Terrorist under E.O. 13224.

The Phalange Party stressed on Monday the importance of the current contacts between Speaker Nabih Berri and the March 14 opposition in order to reactivate efforts to reach an agreement over a new parliamentary electoral law.

It added in a statement after its weekly politburo meeting: “We hold the government responsible for jeopardizing the parliamentary elections and agreement on a new law due to its refusal to resign to pave the way for a salvation cabinet.”

A plan by the Lebanese government to support around 130,000 Syrian refugees will be proposed as part of a United Nations plan that will be announced in Geneva on Wednesday, Social Affairs Minister Wael Abu Faour announced.

The representatives of donor countries and organizations lauded the government's $178 million plan in the second such meeting they held at the Grand Serail under the chairmanship of Prime Minister Najib Miqati on Monday, the minister said.

Youhanna al-Yaziji was elected on Monday the new Greek Orthodox Patriarch of the Levant and Antioch.

He will succeed late Patriarch Ignatius IV Hazim, who passed away on December 5.