Information Minister Walid al-Daouq announced on Thursday the government’s approval of its policy statement, referring it to parliament for the vote of confidence.

He said in a press conference after the ratification of the statement: “Prime Minister Najib Miqati stressed during the session that calm and responsible dialogue pervaded the sessions drafting the statement.”

The cabinet held a session at Baabda palace on Thursday to discuss the policy statement that was adopted a day earlier by a 12-member committee tasked with drafting it.

The cabinet meeting was preceded by closed-door talks between President Michel Suleiman and PM Najib Miqati.

President Michel Suleiman praised on Wednesday Spain’s support to Lebanon, starting with its participation in the United Nations Interim Force in Lebanon.

He made his statements after holding talks with visiting Spanish Minister for Foreign Affairs and Cooperation Soraya Rodriguez Ramos.

Mustaqbal bloc MP Samir al-Jisr stated that President Michel Suleiman and Prime Minister Najib Miqati were receptive and understanding of Tripoli MPs’ request that the city be removed of its weapons.

He told the daily An Nahar in remarks published on Sunday: “A political and security agreement must be reached to follow up on this matter.”

Opposition sources criticized the ongoing rapprochement between President Michel Suleiman and Free Patriotic Movement leader MP Michel Aoun, saying that it is aimed at paving the way for an alliance between the two sides ahead of the 2013 parliamentary elections.

They told the Kuwaiti al-Anbaa newspaper in remarks published on Sunday that Suleiman chose an inappropriate time for this rapprochement given the MP’s recent hostile remarks against the opposition and March 14 camp.

Premier Najib Miqati has informed President Michel Suleiman and Speaker Nabih Berri about his vision on the clause of the international tribunal in the cabinet draft policy statement, informed sources said Saturday.

While the sources refused to give details on Miqati’s proposed formula, they told al-Joumhouria daily that the prime minister asked both Suleiman and Berri to study his proposal and give him their remarks.

President Michel Suleiman and Free Patriotic Movement leader Michel Aoun have narrowed their differences and would meet at dinner in Amsheet next month during a ceremony sponsored by Maronite Patriarch Beshara al-Rahi, An Nahar daily reported Friday.

FPM sources denied that the rapprochement was mediated by foreign parties, saying “Suleiman made the initiative to restore relations (with Aoun) after he felt a regress in the capabilities of the March 14 forces.”

The Syrian Ambassador to Lebanon Ali Abdul Karim Ali stated on Thursday that Syria wishes Lebanon well, hoping that its new government would be successful in its work because that would benefit Syria.

On March 14 camp claims that the new government belongs to Syria and Hizbullah, he said: “The statements of President Michel Suleiman, Prime Minister Najib Miqati, Speaker Nabih Berri, and all our brothers in Lebanon are a response to such allegations.”

The leadership of the March 14-led opposition is planning to hold a large-scale meeting in which former Premier Saad Hariri, who is currently in Paris, would take part ahead of the parliamentary vote of confidence session, al-Liwaa daily reported Thursday.

The newspaper said the meeting would be similar to the Bristol 2 conference and would be aimed at agreeing on the major steps that the opposition would take to confront Premier Najib Miqati’s cabinet in the parliament.

The March 14 general-secretariat on Wednesday held President Michel Suleiman and Premier Najib Miqati responsible for Free Patriotic Movement leader Michel Aoun’s “illness,” and vowed to unanimously confront the new cabinet.

“Every statement made by MP Michel Aoun confirms the revolutionary nature of the cabinet,” the general-secretariat said following its weekly meeting. Aoun’s verbal attacks “include threats of banishment, imprisonment and murder.”