Caretaker Prime Minister Najib Mikati issued a statement following the conclusion of Lebanon’s parliamentary consultations, congratulating Prime Minister-designate Nawaf Salam and wishing him success in forming a government aligned with the principles set by President Joseph Aoun's oath.

The top judge at the International Court of Justice Nawaf Salam has been designated Lebanon’s next prime minister in a surprising turnaround for the crisis-ridden country.

The visit by Prime Minister Najib Mikati was the first official trip by the Lebanese leader to meet with the new government of Syria.

Lebanon’s new president names head of the International Court of Justice as the country’s new prime minister. View on euronews

Nawaf Salam, the president of the International Court of Justice (ICJ) at The Hague, has been named as Lebanon's new prime minister. Two thirds of the 128 members of parliament nominated the 71-year-old judge for the post - reserved for a Sunni Muslim under a sectarian power sharing system - during consultations with newly elected President Joseph Aoun.

Lebanon now has a new government in waiting for the first time in two years after Nawaf Salam was nominated for prime minister.

Lebanese President Joseph Aoun began consultations with lawmakers on Monday to designate a prime minister in what political sources saw as a tight race between incumbent Najib Mikati and International Court of Justice President Nawaf Salam.