Lavrov: Russia respects Lebanon poll choice

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Russia has said the international community must recognise the result of Lebanon's general election irrespective of who wins a majority next month.

Russian Foreign Minister Sergei Lavrov spoke after holding talks in Beirut with senior Lebanese leaders.

His visit comes on the heels of US Vice President Joe Biden, who linked future US aid to Lebanon to the poll outcome.

Mr Biden warned against voting for "spoilers of peace", a veiled reference to militant political party Hezbollah.

"It is important that the results of these elections are recognised not only by Lebanese society but also everyone who is interested in the continued and natural development of Lebanon as a state, hence, the international community," Mr Lavrov said.

"We will deal with all those chosen by the Lebanese people. We (will) respect this choice and this vote," he added.

We consider what was published in Der Spiegel an attempt to politicise matters and we consider all such attempts provocative Russian Foreign Minsiter Sergei Lavrov

The 7 June parliamentary election in <a class="inlineText" href="/1/hi/world/middle_east/country_profiles/791071.stm">Lebanon</a> pits an alliance including Iranian- and Syrian-backed Hezbollah against a western- and Saudi-backed anti-Syrian coalition that currently holds a narrow majority in parliament.

Many analysts predict gains for Hezbollah and its allies.

Hezbollah accused

A tense run-up to elections has been stirred up by a report in Saturday's Der Spiegel which linked the 2005 assassination of anti-Syrian figurehead Rafik Hariri to Hezbollah.

Mr Lavrov dismissed the report - which claimed to be based on the latest findings of a UN investigation into the Hariri murder - as "provocative".

Lavrov visited the grave of assassinated ex-premier Rafik Hariri

"We consider what was published in Der Spiegel an attempt to politicise matters and we consider all such attempts provocative," Mr Lavrov said.

During his visit he held meetings with President Michel Suleiman, Prime Minister Fouad Siniora and Parliament Speaker Nabih Berri.

The German weekly said the commission had uncovered new evidence including incriminating mobile phone records that Hezbollah special forces had "planned and executed" the Hariri bombing.

Mr Lavrov, who visited Mr Hariri's grave in Beirut, told reporters that Moscow supported the inquiry as long as its work was "professional, unbiased and not politicised".

Syria dismissed Der Spiegel's report as "lies" while Hezbollah called it a "pure fabrication aimed at influencing the election campaign".

After reading Der Spiegel's report, Israeli Foreign Minister <a class="inlineText" href="/1/hi/world/middle_east/6084362.stm">Avigdor Lieberman</a> said: "If this is the conclusion of the investigators an international arrest warrant must be issued immediately against [Hezbollah leader Hassan] Nasrallah."

Former UN investigator Detlev Mehlis said initial findings suggested a role by Syrian and Lebanese intelligence services in the killing, but never mentioned Hezbollah.

The two investigators who have succeeded Mr Mehlis have not repeated the accusations and said Syria was cooperating.

On the preceding leg of his tour, Mr Lavrov held talks with the Palestinian militant group leader-in-exile in Damascus, Khaled Meshal.

Israel said it was "deeply disappointed" by the visit to a leader it describes as a "terrorist", but Mr Lavrov praised a new level of "realism... and responsibility" in the Hamas leadership.