Prime Minister Tammam Salam expressed hope on Saturday that the “consensual atmosphere” between the political arch-foes that resulted in his cabinet's lineup would be reflected on the ministerial policy statement.

“The panel drafting the ministerial policy achieved progress in its work process,” Salam said in a statement.

Phalange Party leader Amin Gemayel stressed that the upcoming presidential elections should be carried out within the constitutional time-frame, calling for consensus among Christian parties over the name of the presidential candidate.

“The Phalange Party reject by all means any vacuum at presidential post,” Gemayel said during an interview with the Tehran-based Arabic-language Iranian television channel al-Kawthar.

President Michel Suleiman is expected to hold talks with French President Francois Hollande on the sidelines of a meeting for the International Support Group for Lebanon is set to be held in Paris in early March.

Diplomatic sources told An Nahar newspaper published on Saturday that Suleiman, who will be heading the Lebanese delegation to the conference, is expected to meet Hollande at the French capital.

The Arab Summit that will be held in Kuwait on March 25 and 26 is expected to tackle the latest developments in Lebanon and will be preceded by a meeting for the International Support Group for Lebanon that is set to be held in Paris in early March.

A diplomatic source said in comments published in As Safir newspaper that the Arab Summit will address the situation in Lebanon and stress its keenness to safeguard the country's stability, security and reiterate its support to the state's dissociation policy.

Free Patriotic Movement leader Michel Aoun is highly likely to reach the presidency after a U.S. and Saudi rapprochement with him, al-Akhbar newspaper reported on Friday.

The daily said Washington believes that Lebanon needs a strong president, who is capable of discussing with Hizbullah about its arms or the defense strategy rather than provoking it.

President Michel Suleiman highlighted on Thursday the importance of the defense strategy in combating terrorism in Lebanon.

He said: “The measures taken on the ground to combat terrorism can be complemented by the resumption of talks on a national defense strategy.”

The United Nations and U.S. have “strongly condemned” the double suicide bombing that targeted an Iranian cultural center in Beirut's southern suburbs.

The 15-member Security Council “strongly condemned” Wednesday's attack in the Bir Hassan neighborhood and “reaffirmed that terrorism in all its forms and manifestations constitutes one of the most serious threats to international peace and security.”

The ministerial committee tasked with devising a government policy statement met on Wednesday afternoon at the Grand Serail amid reports that Prime Minister Tammam Salam will present it with a draft statement.

"The committee convened in the Grand Serail and the meeting was presided over by Salam,” the state-run National News Agency reported.

Lebanese officials strongly denounced on Wednesday the double suicide attack that targeted Beirut's southern suburbs, which killed at least four people and injured 100 others and was claimed by al-Qaida affiliated Abdullah Azzam Brigades.

President Michel Suleiman condemned the attack, saying: “There can be no salvation from terrorism except through complete solidarity among the people regardless of their political affiliations.”

Syrian Prime Minister Wael al-Halqi on Tuesday sent a cable to Prime Minister Tammam Salam, in which he congratulated the premier on the formation of the new cabinet.

In the message that was published by Syria's state news agency SANA, Halqi hoped to achieve “further progress in the honest brotherly ties between the two countries and two peoples in all fields, and to achieve further security, stability and prosperity for them.”