U.N. Special Coordinator for Lebanon Michael Williams stressed on Monday the importance of dialogue in settling Lebanese disputes.

He said after holding talks with House Speaker Nabih Berri: “The Speaker and I were in full agreement that irrespective of the differences that may exist internally within Lebanon, dialogue remains the only and most important tool for the Lebanese to resolve their problems.”

U.S. Ambassador Maura Connelly reiterated on Monday that the international community will assess its relationship with Premier-designate Najib Miqati’s government based on the make-up of the cabinet.

Connelly made the remark during talks with Speaker Nabih Berri in Ain el-Tineh, said a U.S. embassy statement.

Speaker Nabih Berri stressed that the cabinet formation process is not facing problems that cannot be solved and denied that the March 8 forces were rejecting to give President Michel Suleiman shares in the government.

“No one, including (FPM leader) Michel Aoun is rejecting to give President Suleiman a share,” Berri told As Safir daily in remarks published Monday. “However, there are (different) point of views on the type” of shares.

House Speaker Nabih Berri’s sources revealed to the Kuwaiti al-Anbaa newspaper that he is preparing a decisive response to Caretaker Prime Minister Saad Hariri’s recent speech, noting that the speaker “no longer cares” that the ties between him and the premier have reached one of their worst points.

The paper also reported sources close to the March 8 camp as saying that Hizbullah “will not take a risk in any confrontation between it and Hariri that would harm the party’s new allies.”

Saturday’s ceremony honoring outgoing Patriarch Nasrallah Sfeir garnered the majority of the political sides in Lebanon with the noted absence of Free Patriotic Movement leader MP Michel Aoun.

The ceremony was marked by the withdrawal of FPM ministers Jebran Bassil and Fadi Abboud, as well as MP Alain Aoun, because Lebanese Forces leader Samir Geagea was seated in the front row along with ministers from his bloc.

French Ambassador to Lebanon Denis Pietton hoped on Thursday that the new government would be formed as soon as possible “because Lebanon is in need of its institutions.”

He said after holding talks with House Speaker Nabih Berri that the new government should also respect international agreements and maintain Lebanese unity.

Najib Miqati’s circles have said that the premier-designate is discussing with President Michel Suleiman several cabinet formulas, adding that the head of state is an “essential constitutional partner in the cabinet formation” process and has every right to give his opinion on the issue.

The circles criticized political parties that are making accusations against Suleiman, saying this would hinder the formation of the government.

Four caretaker ministers have turned down requests from the Special Tribunal for Lebanon prosecutor to provide information and documents, in breach of the cooperation protocol signed with the U.N., sources close to the STL told the English-language The Daily Star.

The requests made by Prosecutor Daniel Bellemare were sent last month from his office in Beirut to caretaker Premier Saad Hariri, who passed them on to Ministers Ghazi Aridi, Jebran Bassil, Ziad Baroud and Charbel Nahhas on February 24, the newspaper said Tuesday.

A cabinet formula was proposed by Premier-designate Najib Miqati during a meeting between Caretaker Energy Minister Jebran Bassil and the advisors of Speaker Nabih Berri and Hizbullah leader Sayyed Hassan Nasrallah, An Nahar daily said Wednesday.

The newspaper said the proposed 30 seats in the new cabinet are divided as follows:

House Speaker Nabih Berri stated on Wednesday that there are no problems in the government formation process.

He said after his weekly meeting with President Michel Suleiman: “The problem lies in the media, but this does not mean that there are no obstacles and I believe that Prime Minister-designate still has time to tackle these hardships.”