Syria 'crucial' to Hariri inquiry: Brammertz

The head of the UN inquiry into the murder of former Lebanese PM Rafiq al-Hariri says improved cooperation from Syria was critical to its success.

Chief investigator Serge Brammertz told UN Security Council members he had been given permission to meet Syria's president in the coming month.

Brammertz also said a number of new leads had led to "faster than expected progress" in certain important areas.

BBC reported on this issue that the former UN chief investigator, Detlev Mehlis, had accused Syria of failing to cooperate and said this had impeded the investigation. Mehlis had also concluded that Hariri, a critic of Syria's involvement in Lebanon, could not have been killed without the knowledge of Syrian and Lebanese officials.

Syria said it was not involved in the assassination and that it is cooperating with the UN investigation team to this effect.