MOSCOW, December 15 (RIA Novosti) - The Lebanese prime minister has enlisted Russia's support in setting up an international tribunal to investigate the murder of former Lebanese Prime Minister Rafik Hariri, the country's incumbent head of government said Friday.
The UN Security Council recently decided to establish a special tribunal on Hariri's murder. The former prime minister and business tycoon was killed February 14, 2005 in a massive blast in Beirut.
Fouad Siniora, speaking at a RIA Novosti news conference, said Vladimir Putin has voiced support for the idea of creating an international tribunal to investigate the killings that have hit Lebanon for many years.
The premier said that this reinforces the right of the Lebanese people to deal with their own problems themselves.
Siniora said his meeting with President Putin has also confirmed Russia's support for the Lebanese government and the country's efforts to establish contacts with the outside world.
The prime minister said his country appreciates the efforts of Arab states and other nations, including Russia, to normalize relations between Lebanon and its neighbor, Syria.
Any efforts being taken by "brother Arab countries" and other states, above all Russia, will help improve these relations, he said.
The prime minister has recently come under enormous pressure from the pro-Syrian opposition, who have pushed for his resignation, with mass anti-government demonstrations in the center of Beirut running into their second week.
Lebanon-based Shiite radical groups Hezbollah and Amal, in alliance with Christian leader Michel Aoun, have accused the Siniora government subservience to Western powers, and have demanded that Shiites be given enough Cabinet seats to wield veto power.
The latest wave of protest comes in the wake of the November 21 assassination of the anti-Syrian politician Pierre Gemayel, who served in Siniora's government as industry minister.
Gemayel, 34, was killed when his car was peppered with bullets on a Beirut street. Two years ago, the so-called "Cedar Revolution" drove Syrian troops out of Lebanon following the assassination of Rafik Hariri, who had called for an end to Syria's long-standing occupation of the Mediterranean country.
