Prime Minister Nawaf Salam on Wednesday called for urgent national reform and renewed state sovereignty, telling university graduates that Lebanon’s future rests on the energy of its youth rather than top-down solutions.

Speaking at the commencement ceremony of Beirut Arab University, Salam said his government is committed to handing over “a country better than the one it inherited,” but warned that the clock is ticking.

“We are facing a moment that cannot be postponed,” he said. “Believe me, Lebanon does not have the luxury of wasting time. Rebuilding a capable and just state is not a slogan to be waved; it is a commitment that my colleagues and I in the ‘Reform and Rescue’ government are working tirelessly and unequivocally to fulfill.”

Salam emphasized that there can be “no resurrection of a strong state” without sweeping reforms that ensure the establishment of effective institutions. He listed key conditions for Lebanon’s recovery: full Israeli withdrawal from Lebanese territory, reconstruction of areas destroyed by military aggression, an independent judiciary, modern and transparent governance, and exclusive state control over weapons.

“There is no real stability without the complete withdrawal of Israeli forces from our land and the start of reconstruction of what the Israeli aggression destroyed,” he said. “There is no trust without an independent judiciary, no growth without a modern and honest administration, and no security or safety unless all arms are under the control of the state alone, and unless the state fully regains its authority over decisions of war and peace.”

“These are non-negotiable principles,” Salam added. “We may have taken far too long to anchor them, especially since the Taif Agreement, but I promise you: there will be no going back on them from today onward.”

The prime minister praised Lebanon’s youth as the engine of national renewal, positioning them at the forefront of a changing global landscape.

“We are witnessing an unprecedented transformation in modern human history. The world is not only changing, but it is also reinventing itself,” he said. “Digital transformation is no longer just a tool that simplifies life; it has become the new environment in which we work, learn, communicate, and think.”