The Army Command tweeted on Wednesday that Egyptian President Abdel Fattah al-Sisi received Army Commander General Joseph Aoun and praised the role of the Lebanese Army “at this delicate stage.”
Al-Sissi stressed on the army’s efforts “to provide security and stability” for Lebanon.

The Consultative Group of the Reform, Recovery and Reconstruction Framework (3RF) held its second meeting on Tuesday.
The 3RF Consultative Group consists of the Government of Lebanon, Lebanese civil society, the European Union, United Nations, the World Bank and international donors. Together they monitor progress and give strategic direction to the reforms and activities under the 3RF.

Prime Minister-designate Najib Miqati on Tuesday met with President Michel Aoun in Baabda to brief him on the outcome of his nonbinding consultations with the parliamentary blocs regarding the new government.
"The opinions were largely identical and, God willing, we will hold successive meetings in the next two days," Miqati said after meeting Aoun.

The Secretary of the Strong Lebanon Bloc MP Ibrahim Kanaan confirmed, after the non-binding parliamentary consultations, on Tuesday, that "PM-designate Najib Miqati is keen to form the government within few days."
He said that his bloc has informed the PM-designate who is "concerned about the ongoing collapse" that they are “ready to help” in order to end the formation matter quickly.
Ex-PM Saad Hariri on Tuesday pledged to support PM-designate Najib Miqati in the mission of forming a new government, as he defended al-Mustaqbal bloc over the uproar related to the lifting of parliamentary immunities in the port blast case.
“Together with al-Mustaqbal bloc, I have tasked myself with securing the requirements of success for PM-designate Najib Miqati and we’ll back him in his steps,” said Hariri at a press conference that followed a meeting for his bloc.

The crisis in Lebanon will be among a host of issues that Israel’s defense minister will discuss with his French counterpart in Paris this week, an Israeli government statement said Tuesday.
The Israeli defense ministry said Benny Gantz will travel on Wednesday for the meeting with Florence Parly and that the two will discuss the Israeli spyware company NSO, the crisis in Lebanon and nuclear talks between world powers and Iran.

Behind closed doors, Prime Minister–designate Najib Miqati has asserted that if he is able to form a government, “its priorities, in the period until the parliamentary elections, will be to ensure the access of the Lebanese to medicine, fuel and electricity."
Members of his team told al-Akhbar newspaper, in remarks published Tuesday, that Miqati “is willing to suggest the idea of using the $900 million that Lebanon will receive from the International Monetary Fund to build two power plants in Deir Amar and al-Zahrani, which would cover Lebanon’s entire need for electricity.”

President Michel Aoun has agreed with Prime Minister-Designate Najib Miqati "to expedite the new government's formation,” media sources said, adding that they have not yet discussed “the details of the government's composition.”
Sources close to the Baabda Palace revealed, in remarks published Tuesday in several newspapers, that "Aoun and Miqati have not yet gone into the details of the government's line-up, the distribution of portfolios, or any other issues related to the formation mechanism," but have “agreed on expediting the government formation.”

Free Patriotic Movement chief Jebran Bassil announced Tuesday that the FPM has decided not to take part in the government that is supposed to be formed by PM-designate Najib Miqati.

France on Monday urged the formation of a "competent and capable" government in Lebanon to carry out reforms after a year of political deadlock, shortly after Najib Miqati was named as the country's new PM-designate.
