‘Concerned’ France Expects Lebanese Cabinet to Allow STL to Play its Role
France said Friday it was "concerned" by the Lebanese government's attitude towards the Special Tribunal for Lebanon that will try ex-Premier Rafik Hariri’s suspected assassins.
Foreign ministry spokesman Bernard Valero said France had noted Prime Minister Najib Miqati's promise that the cabinet would continue to cooperate with the STL.
"We are nevertheless concerned by the formulation used to refer to the Special Tribunal for Lebanon, which appears to cast doubt over the impartiality and the professionalism" of the court, he said.
On Thursday, French Foreign Minister Alain Juppe said he was expecting the Lebanese government to facilitate the work of the tribunal.
When asked about Hizbullah leader Sayyed Hassan Nasrallah’s rejection to hand over the four suspects against whom arrest warrants have been issued by the STL, Juppe said: “We had always expected the Lebanese cabinet to allow the STL from playing its role.”
“If that is not the case, we will draw lessons from it,” Juppe said during a press conference.
An Nahar daily said Friday that Paris believes there are different question marks on the cabinet’s policy statement on one hand and Miqati’s announcement that he was committed to the tribunal on the other.
Juppe is expected to visit Beirut, the newspaper said, adding that he would invite Miqati to Paris.
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