The UN Security Council adopted unanimously on Monday a resolution demanding Syria's full cooperation in the investigation of the murder of Lebanese former Prime Minister Rafik Hariri, including detaining Syrians suspected of involvement in the assassination.

The resolution, passed at a foreign ministers' meeting of the council, also urges states to impose individual sanctions on Syrians designated as suspects in the murder of Hariri, including a travel ban and a freeze on their overseas assets.

A commission composed of all council members will be established to determine which suspects, designated by a UN- authorized investigative panel or the Lebanese government, would be subject to such sanctions. The body will act on the basis of consensus.

But the resolution was watered down to get unanimous support after last-minute closed-door consultations Monday morning. The adopted text dropped the mention of Article 41 of the UN Charter, under which the Security Council can resort to economic or diplomatic sanctions to ensure the implementation of its decisions.

The new text only says "the council, if necessary, could consider further action."

A demand for Syria to cease support for terrorist groups was also deleted from the final text. The draft was put forward by the US, Britain and France early last week, and its threat of sanctions had been strongly opposed by Russia, China, Algeria, Brazil and a number of other council members.

Foreign ministers from 11 council members attended Monday's meeting, including US Secretary of State Condoleeza Rice, British Foreign Secretary Jack Straw, Russian Foreign Minister Sergey Lavrov and their French and Chinese counterparts, Philippe Douste- Blazy and Li Zhaoxing.

Addressing the council after the vote, Li Zhaoxing said China believes it is necessary for the council to adopt a resolution urging the relevant parties to strengthen their cooperation with the independent inquiry commission.

He reiterated China's opposition to the use or threat of sanctions in international relations. "China always holds that no willful use or threat of sanctions should be allowed in international sanctions," he said.

"The use of sanctions can only be authorized by the Security Council with prudence in light of actual situations," Li went on to say, adding that the independent inquiry led by German prosecutor Detlev Mehlis is yet to be completed and there is no final conclusion on the death of Hariri.

"Under such circumstances, it is inappropriate for the Security Council to prejudge the investigation outcome and threaten to impose sanctions. It does not help with the settlement of the issue, and will add new destabilizing factors to the already complex situation in the Middle East," he emphasized.

The ministerial meeting was presided by Romanian Foreign Minister Mihai-Razvan Ungureanu, whose country holds the council presidency for October.

Source: Xinhua