French Foreign Ministry spokesman Bernard Valero says concerned by Lebanese government’s attitude towards tribunal

French Foreign ministry spokesman Bernard Valero said on Friday that his country was "concerned" by the Lebanese government's attitude towards the Special Tribunal for Lebanon that will try ex-Premier Rafiq Hariri’s suspected assassins.

Valero said France had noted Prime Minister Najib Miqati's promise that the cabinet would continue to cooperate with the STL. "We are nevertheless concerned by the formulation used to refer to the Special Tribunal for Lebanon, which appears to cast doubt over the impartiality and the professionalism" of the court, he said.

On Thursday, French Foreign Minister Alain Juppe said he was expecting the Lebanese government to facilitate the work of the tribunal.

Lebanese daily An-Nahar said Friday that Paris believes there are different question marks on the cabinet’s policy statement on one hand and Miqati’s announcement that he was committed to the tribunal on the other.

Juppe is expected to visit Beirut, the newspaper said, adding that he would invite Miqati to Paris.