Maronite Patriarch Nasrallah Sfeir said after meeting President Michel Suleiman at the suburban Baabda Palace on Friday that he hoped the new cabinet would be announced soon.

"I hope the new government will see light soon and I hope there will be a fair distribution of cabinet seats," Sfeir told reporters after the brief visit.

Sfeir described as "good" his relation with Free Patriotic Movement leader Michel Aoun "just like I have good relationships with everybody."

The patriarch said he supports dialogue "be it before or after the ministerial statement."