Lebanese Prime Minister Nawaf Salam has expressed cautious optimism, saying there is a chance to steer the country out of its current crisis, Al Jazeera reports.

Salam has told Kuwaiti newspaper Al-Anba that momentum must be seized despite ongoing challenges.

“There is a glimmer of hope in Lebanon that we must seize and strengthen in order to reach solutions, despite the difficulty and sensitivity of this stage,” he said in comments carried by Lebanon’s official National News Agency.

Nawaf says the government is working to rally domestic and international backing, particularly from Arab states.

“The government is working to mobilise all elements of internal strength and external support, foremost among them the support of our Arab brothers, to extricate Lebanon from its predicament, end the Israeli occupation of our country, and restore security and prosperity to all parts of Lebanon,” he adds.