Lebanon's Prime Minister-designate Saad Hariri said on Friday he was very close to forming a new government and would hold more talks with the country's main parties.
Foreign donors have said Lebanon, which held a parliamentary election in May, needs to build a government quickly to maintain confidence and start working on reforms to help its ailing economy.
Finance Minister Ali Hassan Khalil had warned earlier this week that Lebanon was not forming its new cabinet fast enough and said he had not seen serious headway.
"We have come very close to the final equation...There are still some consultations," Mr Hariri said after meeting President Michel Aoun. "The issue is the size of the parcel that each political [party] wants to get."
"God willing, we're getting there," the Western-backed Hariri said without giving a timeframe.
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Merkel offers support for Lebanon's refugee burden
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The Sunni Muslim leader has met with lawmakers over the make-up of the coalition, with some rivalries surfacing over cabinet portfolios. The new government, like the outgoing one, is expected to include all main parties within Lebanon's sectarian power-sharing system.
A caretaker government has been running the country since the May vote. In the election, Lebanon's Iran-backed, Shiite Hezbollah movement and its political allies emerged with greater sway.
Speaking earlier on Friday at a joint press conference with visiting German Chancellor Angela Merkel, Mr Hariri said that Lebanon was committed to implementing reforms.
Recent winners
2002 Giselle Khoury (Colombia)
2004 Nathalie Nasralla (France)
2005 Catherine Abboud (Oceania)
2007 Grace Bijjani (Mexico)
2008 Carina El-Keddissi (Brazil)
2009 Sara Mansour (Brazil)
2010 Daniella Rahme (Australia)
2011 Maria Farah (Canada)
2012 Cynthia Moukarzel (Kuwait)
2013 Layla Yarak (Australia)
2014 Lia Saad (UAE)
2015 Cynthia Farah (Australia)
2016 Yosmely Massaad (Venezuela)
2017 Dima Safi (Ivory Coast)
2018 Rachel Younan (Australia)
Who are the Soroptimists?
The first Soroptimists club was founded in Oakland, California in 1921. The name comes from the Latin word soror which means sister, combined with optima, meaning the best.
The organisation said its name is best interpreted as ‘the best for women’.
Since then the group has grown exponentially around the world and is officially affiliated with the United Nations. The organisation also counts Queen Mathilde of Belgium among its ranks.
Key findings of Jenkins report
- Founder of the Muslim Brotherhood, Hassan al Banna, "accepted the political utility of violence"
- Views of key Muslim Brotherhood ideologue, Sayyid Qutb, have “consistently been understood” as permitting “the use of extreme violence in the pursuit of the perfect Islamic society” and “never been institutionally disowned” by the movement.
- Muslim Brotherhood at all levels has repeatedly defended Hamas attacks against Israel, including the use of suicide bombers and the killing of civilians.
- Laying out the report in the House of Commons, David Cameron told MPs: "The main findings of the review support the conclusion that membership of, association with, or influence by the Muslim Brotherhood should be considered as a possible indicator of extremism."
