EU voices support for Lebanese government

TAMPERE, Finland, Nov 27 (Reuters) European Union foreign policy chief Javier Solana today voiced strong support for Lebanon's embattled government, which is facing growing pressure from pro-Syrian opposition groups to resign.

''As you know our position is to support the government of Prime Minister (Fouad) Siniora of Lebanon, which is a government which has worked with tremendous dignity in this difficult period of time,'' he told reporters at an EU-Mediterranean foreign ministers' forum in Finland.

He said the Beirut government had a very important commitment in the middle of January, a conference in Paris on the reconstruction of Lebanon following the war between Israel and Hezbollah in July and August.

''And that has to be well prepared, and we think that the last thing that should be done now is to start fooling around with governments in Lebanon when they have a very important task to do to prepare for the conference in Paris,'' Solana said.

Six pro-Syrian ministers have resigned from Lebanon's cabinet after national unity talks broke down, saying the government refused to give the opposition, led by the powerful Hezbollah Shi'ite movement, a decisive say in government.

The government said the ministers quit so as not to approve a special UN tribunal to try suspects in the 2005 assassination of former Prime Minister Rafik al-Hariri. Early reports from a UN inquiry implicated Syrian security officials and their Lebanese counterparts. Syria denies any role.

Germany said today that Syria holds the key to easing tensions in Lebanon.

''A stabilisation of the situation in Lebanon also requires the establishment of diplomatic relations between Syria and Lebanon.

Syria must recognise that Lebanon is a sovereign state,'' German government spokesman Thomas Steg told reporters in Berlin.

German Chancellor Angela Merkel and Lebanon's Siniora discussed the situation on the telephone on Friday.

Syria could also help Lebanon by ''participating constructively'' with the Hariri tribunal, Steg said.

Hezbollah, Parliament Speaker Nabih Berri, who heads the pro-Syrian Amal faction, and pro-Syrian Lebanese President Emile Lahoud now say the Lebanese government is illegitimate and its decisions unconstitutional.

Hezbollah and its allies have said they will take to the streets to overthrow the government, which they see as a puppet of Washington, after it rejected its demands.

Syria's critics also accuse it of Tuesday's killing of anti-Syrian minister Pierre Gemayel. Damascus denies any such role.

Solana said the presence of Syrian Foreign Minister Walid al-Moualem at the Finland meeting was ''very important''.

REUTERS PB KN1942