Lebanon's Minister of Justice Khaled Qabbani on Monday signed a memorandum of understanding ( MoU) with an international investigative team probing the assassination of former premier Rafik al-Hariri and said his government places great hopes on its investigation into the case.

The memorandum provides for the mechanism and principle under which lebanon's legislative and security bodies and the international investigation team would cooperate, and specifies areas of cooperation, Qabbani told the media.

The international team will carry out an independent probe into the Feb. 14 assassination of the country's former prime minister al-Hariri in accordance with UN Security Council Resolution 1595, he said.

Under the memorandum, the mission has the authority to summon any government official or non-official personage for information relating to the assassination case.

Bringing the case to light would help clarify a series of murders in the country, Qabbani said. The international investigating committee has won trust from the Lebanese government and full support from the international community, and the government places great hopes on its investigation, he said.

Under Resolution 1595, the international team arrived in Beirut on May 26 to carry out a probe into the assassination case. Its mission in Lebanon will last for three months and may be extended for another three months if necessary.

Source: Xinhua