BEIRUT: The international community exerted further pressure on Lebanon Wednesday to uphold its commitment regarding the Special Tribunal for Lebanon as the European Union asked the country to eliminate any obstacles facing the court.
“The Special Tribunal for Lebanon should continue its work without hurdles, with the cooperation of the Lebanese government,” European Union ambassadors said in a statement following their meeting with Prime Minister Najib Mikati.
The statement also asked the new government to commit to United Nations Security Council Resolutions 1701 and 1757.
“We emphasized the importance of this new government's support for Lebanon’s international commitments in its policy statement regarding Security Council Resolutions 1701 and 1757,” the statement added.
Resolution 1757 established the STL to investigate the 2005 assassination of former Prime Minister Rafik Hariri and spells out the Lebanese government's responsibility in financing the court. Resolution 1701 ended the summer 2006 war with Israel and called for a halt in border violations between the two states and the termination of arms shipments to Hezbollah.
The ambassadors also reiterated the importance of the independent and democratic work of Lebanese institutions and urged Lebanon to implement the country’s reform program to face domestic challenges.
“Lebanon is an important partner for the European Union and we are looking forward to cooperating with Lebanon based on political and economic cooperation,” the statement added.
With the formation of the new government headed by Mikati and dominated by the Hezbollah-led March 8 alliance, the international community, including the U.S., fear that Lebanon may disavow the court and halt its funding.
The STL is a contentious issue in Lebanese politics. The Hezbollah-led March 8 alliance has described it as an American-Israel tool targeting Hezbollah and has questioned its credibility.