The new national unity government in Lebanon has won a vote of confidence with an overwhelming majority of MPs.
The vote gives the formal go-ahead for a government which brings together a Western-backed alliance with former opposition groups led by Hezbollah.
The vote followed days of often heated debate, which exposed divisions among Lebanese factions on the issue of the weapons held by Hezbollah.
In May factional tensions erupted into street violence in the capital Beirut.
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The vote allows the cabinet finally to start work. Its 30 members include 11 from the bloc led by Shia Muslim political and militant movement Hezbollah, which will be enough to veto legislation.
"Despite some of the sharp criticisms expressed by some of the MPs... we are determined to turn over a new page in our relations," said Prime Minister Fouad Siniora before the vote.
National dialogue
Paramilitary weapons have been the top concern in pro-Western circles since the 2006 war between Hezbollah and Israel and the recent armed takeover of large parts of West Beirut by Hezbollah and its allies.
The crisis was Lebanon's most serious civil unrest since the civil war ended in 1990.
A government policy statement asserts Hezbollah's right to resist Israel militarily. Its weapons will be discussed during a national dialogue chaired by Michel Suleiman, the former army chief installed as president after the May deal.
On Wednesday, he makes a groundbreaking visit to Damascus, intended to clear up long-standing conflicts between the two neighbours.
He will discuss with Syria's president setting up of diplomatic relations for the first time since they gained independence from France in the 1940s.
(BBC)
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