President Joseph Aoun (C) meeting with Lebanese Parliament Speaker Nabih Berri (L) and designate Prime Minister Nawaf Salam at the presidential palace in Baabda, east of Beirut. AFP
Premier Nawaf Salam said he hoped to head a "government of reform and salvation," pledging to rebuild trust with the international community after a devastating Israeli war on the country and years of economic collapse blamed on corruption and mismanagement.
His new government faces the daunting task of implementing reforms needed to unlock funding from international donors after years of economic crisis, overseeing a fragile Israel-Lebanon ceasefire and rebuilding the country.
President Joseph Aoun signed a decree "to form a government of 24 ministers," the presidency said in a post on X.
It also announced two other decrees, in which the newly appointed president "accepted the resignation of (caretaker) prime minister Najib Mikati's government" and formally appointed "Prime Minister Nawaf Salam to form the government".
Lebanon's incoming government includes five women and well-known figures, such as Ghassan Salame, a former United Nations envoy to Libya.
Political deadlock had left Lebanon without a president for more than two years until Aoun's election.
Nawaf formed a government in less than a month in a country where such endeavours often take months of political horse-trading.
The United Nations welcomed the formation of a new government in Lebanon.
The office of UN special coordinator for Lebanon, Jeanine Hennis-Plasschaert, welcomed "today's government formation heralds a new and brighter chapter for Lebanon."
Salam has said his government would exclude political party members and anyone planning to run in parliamentary elections.
He said he named his ministers after consulting with leaders in a country where power has long been shared according to sectarian quotas.
Before the new government can exercise its powers, it must draft a ministerial statement that must be submitted to a confidence vote in parliament within 30 days.
Traditional, sectarian-based parties mostly dominate Lebanon's 128-seat parliament.
The new government must review agreements, including those with the International Monetary Fund, and prepare for parliamentary elections next year.
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