BEIRUT: Prime Minister Najib Mikati said the general prosecutor for the Special Tribunal for Lebanon will issue a new indictment in the 2005 assassination of former Prime Minister Rafik Hariri.

“General Prosecutor Daniel Bellemare informed me during his recent visit to Lebanon that he will update the indictment for the assassination of the martyr and [former] Prime Minister Rafik Hariri and his companions,” Mikati told LBCI in an interview Saturday.

Last year, the STL indicted four Hezbollah members for involvement in the killing of Hariri and 22 others. The party has denied the allegations and refused to hand over the four men.

The U.N.-backed court has decided to begin trials in absentia for the accused, setting a historical precedent for international courts.

During his interview with Marcel Ghanem, Mikati played down the possibility of further assassinations in Lebanon, explaining that recent intelligence regarding assassination plots against security chiefs has been looked into and that those targeted have been informed of the situation.

Last month, Interior Minister Marwan Charbel said that Ashraf Rifi, the head of the Internal Security Forces, and Wissam al-Hasan, the chief of the ISF’s Information Branch, were the possible targets of an alleged plot. The announcement prompted emergency security measures to be taken around ISF headquarters in the neighborhood of Ashrafieh.

Other reports mentioned Kataeb MP Sami Gemayel as a possible target of assassination.

Asked about his relationship with former Prime Minister Saad Hariri, Mikati denied rumors that the two are at loggerheads.

“I am not engaged in rivalry with anyone and appointing me to the position of prime minister does not mean I am engaged in rivalry with anyone,” Mikati said two days before Lebanon commemorates the Feb.14 assassination of Hariri’s father.

“I had known the martyred prime minister since 1978 and we had a special relationship. When I was a minister in two of his governments, in 2000 and 2004, we were in agreement on all matters,” he added.

Regarding events in Syria and their possible repercussions on Lebanon, Mikati said his main concern was protecting his country’s stability. According to Mikati, it was this concern that prompted his government to adopt a policy of disassociation regarding events in Lebanon's neighbor.

Asked whether Syria was displeased with Lebanon's policy of disassociation, Mikati said his actions serve the interests of Lebanon, adding that he refused to send Lebanese monitors to join the Arab League mission in Syria because he wants to spare Lebanon unecessary complications.

“What concerns me is Lebanon's stability and unity. As for what is happening in Syria, we are against the bloodshed,” Mikati said.

The prime minister, who just returned from a two-day visit to France, also touched on recent unrest in his hometown of Tripoli, north Lebanon, where clashes between supporters and opponents of Syrian President Bashar Assad left three dead and over 20 wounded.

The flareup in violence also left six soldiers injured. “I ask citizens to strengthen the army's presence and support it and not attack it,” Mikati said, adding that a host of local officials and party leaders had voiced their disapproval of the recent bloody incidents.

During the interview, Mikati also reassured the public that Lebanese banks will not be targeted, in a reference to fears that international sanctions on Syria might end up penalizing Lebanese banks that have dealings with Damascus.

“There is no cause for concern over Lebanese banks. Lebanese banks apply all the relevant laws and I guarantee that the financial and economic situation in Lebanon is strong,” he said.