Annan hopes not to politicize Mehils report

United Nations' Secretary General Kofi Annan on Monday expressed hope that an international investigation team's report on the assassination of former Lebanese Premier Rafik Hariri will not be politicized.

"I'm determined to make the report be issued technically as much as possible, and not to permit politicizing the probe," Annan said in a statement.

"I will not take a decision on whether to expand the international investigation into the assassination of Hariri or not unless I receive a special report on the issue next Friday," the UN Chief added.

Lebanese government last week asked the UN to extend the international probe mission until 15 December.