Kouchner stresses that Lebanon's cabinet is an internal issue

Jul 10, 2009, 14:27 GMT

Beirut - French Foreign Minister Bernard Kouchner reiterated Friday that the Lebanese should form their own government and that Paris would not interfere in the country's internal affairs.

'We will not interfere in cabinet formation. It is not our mission,' Kouchner said following talks with President Michel Suleiman at Baabda presidential palace.

Kouchner, who arrived in Beirut Thursday, said some issues were 'making progress in the Middle East region - except for the Palestinian-Israeli track.'

He added: 'I think things are better in Lebanon. In the region, countries like Syria and Saudi Arabia are meeting and there is rapprochement.'

Following the 2005 assassination of former Lebanese Prime Minister Rafik Hariri, French-Syrian ties deteriorated considerably. But in 2008 ties were revived following a visit by French president Nicolas Sarkozy, newly elected at the time, to Syria.

Asked about Israeli Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu's latest threats against Lebanon, the FM said: 'I am not worried' about them.

Netanyahu said last week, that 'we consider the Lebanese Cabinet a sovereign entity, and any attack launched from Lebanese territory against Israel is by the government and its approval.'

The Lebanese Shiite movement Hezbollah is represented in the Lebanese parliament and is expected to have at least two ministers in the new national unity cabinet which Premier Saad Hariri is working on forming.

Kouchner earlier met with Foreign Minister Fawzi Salloukh, who said in a statement that he told his French counterpart about continuous Israeli violations of Lebanese sovereignty.

Kouchner also held talks with with Premier Saad Hariri, and was scheduled to meet later Friday with Hezbollah MP Mohammed Raad.

Kouchner said after meeting with Hariri that there were still problems between Lebanon and Syria. But they have to solve them and France would be glad to help if asked for mediation.

'I don't think that the Syrians have to facilitate formation of a cabinet. This is an internal mission that Hariri has to carry out,' he added.

Hariri who was appointed earlier this month a prime minister is still struggling to form a national unity government that will include all the Lebanese rival factions.

Syria was Lebanon's powerbroker until Hariri's assassination. Syria was widely blamed by Hariri's followers of being behind his assassination, a charge Damascus vehemently denies.

Hariri's assassination caused a local and international outcry, prompting Syria to end its 30-year military presence in its smaller neighbor on April 2005.

Touching on the Iranian issue, Kouchner urged the Iranian authorities to release French academic Clotilde Reiss who was arrested for allegedly taking part in opposition protests after last month's disputed presidential vote.

The French official is scheduled to visit Damascus Sunday for talks with Syrian officials.