US calls Syria to collaborate with UN investigation

The UN investigation committee into the assassination of former Lebanese prime minister Rafiq al-Hariri has requested to meet with Syria's president

President Bashar al-Assad and foreign minister Farouq al-Sharaa.

The USA has urged Syria to respond to the demands. The US representative to the UN, John Bolton, said that the US strongly supports the UN investigation committee and is expecting Syria to collaborate fully and unconditionally with the requests set by the said committee, in compliance with UN Security Council resolution, as he alleged.

On Monday the UN committee announced it asked Damascus to meet with al-Assad, al-Sharaa and other Syrian officials. It also expressed the desire to meet with the former Syrian vice president Abdul Halim Khaddam.

The spokeswoman for the UN refused to specify the date in which the committee made its request but she stressed that the committee is still waiting for the Syrian answer.

Earlier, the UN investigation committee to the murder of Hariri under its previous chairman asked for meeting with al-Assad but his request was rejected, while Sharaa expressed readiness one week ago to meet with the chairman of the UN investigation committee in any place in Europe.