Former Lebanese President 'salutes' PM Hariri's decision to step down

Former Lebanese President Michel Suleiman has said that he "salutes" Lebanese Prime Minister Saad al-Hariri for his decision to step down.

On Saturday, Hariri resigned during a trip to Saudi Arabia fearing for his life.

In a televised address from Riyadh, Hariri said that the atmosphere in the country was similar to the one that existed before his father, former prime minister Rafik Hariri, was assassinated in 2005.

Suleiman said, "The repercussions of Hariri's resignation will be positive," reported the Saudi-owned pan-Arab television channel al-Arabiya al-Hadath.

Referring to Hezbollah's role in Lebanon, he stressed that "no state can build another state inside Lebanon" and "there cannot be two armies."

Lebanon is sharply divided along a camp loyal to Saudi Arabia, headed by the Sunni Muslim Hariri, and a camp loyal to Iran represented by Hezbollah.

The former president urged the need "to withdraw Hezbollah from Syria, and to develop a defensive strategy."

He stressed that "the settlements must not come at the expense of the sovereignty of Lebanon.