UN Secretary General Kofi Annan on Thursday telephoned Syrian President Bashar al-Assad to thank him for Damascus' cooperation on the probe into the murder of ex-Lebanese premier Rafiq Hariri.
According to Syrian-Arab News Agency (SANA), Annan thanked Syria for its cooperation with the commission of inquiry of the United Nations into the assassination of former Lebanese prime minister Rafiq Hariri.
Two previous reports under German prosecutor Detlev Mehlis had suggested top-level Syrian involvement in the assassination and blasted Damascus for not only failing to cooperate but also seeking to mislead the investigation.
Syria has denied any involvement in the murder and previously accused the UN panel of political bias.
On Wednesday, Syria hailed the report of Serge Brammertz, UN chief investigator into the assassination, one day before the UN Security Council was set to discuss its content in New York. The report mentioned that Syria has been cooperating with the international probe, and noted that Brammertz will interview Syrian President Bashar Assad and his deputy Farouk al-Sharaa next month.
