President Michel Suleiman urged on Friday the Lebanese Armed Forces to confront terrorists and criminals no matter how much sacrifices they make.

In a statement issued by Baabda Palace, Suleiman said: “All terrorist activities that target the members of the army and police won't stop those forces from implementing the decision of the government to preserve security and stability.”

Prime Minister Tammam Salam said Friday that partnership between the legislative and executive authorities was necessary to confront major political events.

Following talks with Speaker Nabih Berri in Ain el-Tineh, Salam said: “We are living in difficult circumstances … which require continuous consultations.”

The Syndicate Coordination Committee vowed on Friday to stage strikes and take to the streets if the new wage scale wasn't referred to the parliament for approval.

“We give officials one week grace period, utmost, to refer the new salary scale to the national assembly or we will return back to the streets and stage strikes,” Nehme Mahfoud, who heads the private schools teachers association, said in comments to Voice of Lebanon radio (100.5).

The cabinet approved on Thursday a security plan for the northern city of Tripoli and areas bordering Syria as President Michel Suleiman said a solution to the fighting and repeated attacks was urgently needed.

Health Minister Wael Abou Faour told reporters that the cabinet approved the recommendations of the Higher Defense Council on a security plan in Tripoli and Bekaa valley's northern areas.

The United Nations Security Council held a meeting to discuss the implementation of resolution 1701 that ended the 2006 war between Israel and Hizbullah and the upcoming presidential elections in Lebanon.

The meeting, which was held in the form of closed-door consultations, stressed the need to stage the upcoming presidential elections, An Nahar newspaper reported on Thursday.

The internal and regional conditions are “suitable” for holding the presidential elections, president Michel Suleiman assured on Wednesday.

"The rotation of power is a sign of stability,” Suleiman told the Egyptian state news agency MENA, after holding talks with Egypt's Coptic pope Tawadros II at the Baabda Palace.

Lebanese Forces leader Samir Geagea announced that he is a “natural” candidate for presidency, vowing to withdraw Hizbullah's forces from neighboring Syria if he was elected the next head of state.

"I am naturally a candidate for presidency since I am the head of the most popular Christian party in Lebanon according to polls,” Geagea said in an interview on Al-Arabiya television that aired on Wednesday.

Speaker Nabih Berri called on Wednesday for a three-day parliamentary session next week to tackle a jammed agenda.

The three-day session will also address the new wage scale “if the joint parliamentary committees wrapped up its discussions on the matter ahead of the general assembly meeting.

Arab leaders lauded on Wednesday the role of the Lebanese armed forces, stressing the importance to consolidate their capabilities to reach stability in the country.

The closing statement of the two-day Arab League summit held in Kuwait also vowed full support to the Lebanese state and called for the necessary political and economic support to preserve its security and stability and sovereignty on all its territories.

The regime of Syrian President Bashar Assad informed its allies in Lebanon the need to prevent any attempts to stage the presidential elections in the country, the Saudi Okaz newspaper reported on Wednesday.

The newspaper quoted sources close to the regime as saying that “carrying out the presidential elections in Lebanon should be linked to the run for presidency in the neighboring country.”