Beirut: Lebanese Prime Minister Nawaf Salam has stressed that Lebanon is facing a new phase, calling on the government to maintain the confidence of the representatives and the Lebanese people.

According to Qatar News Agency, Salam said in a statement Monday that the rescue operation requires a set of basic reforms, adding: "There is a real opportunity for the country. Unfortunately, we have missed real opportunities in the past years." The Lebanese Prime Minister added that "there is a new opportunity for the country. Either we succeed, or our situation will be more difficult than it is now," explaining that this opportunity holds a lot despite the difficulty of the situation as a result of the financial crisis, the repercussions of the Israeli aggression, and the cost of reconstruction that was not taken into account, which was estimated by the World Bank to reach USD 14 billion.

A new government was formed in Lebanon consisting of 24 ministers headed by Nawaf Salam on February 8, after weeks of intensive consultations, following the election of General Joseph Aoun as the new President of the Republic.