Syrian President Bashar al-Assad is due to address the nation on Thursday amid mounting international pressure over its alleged role in the killing of former Lebanese Prime Minister Rafik al-Hariri, the official SANA news agency reported here Tuesday.

According to the report, Assad's speech is expected to be aired live by state-run television, which "will tackle current affairs and political issues and aspects of the internal situation".

The last public speech Assad delivered was in March in the People's Assembly (parliament), during which he declared the withdrawal of Syrian troops from neighboring Lebanon among widespread anti-Syrian protests there and growing international pressure sparked by Hariri's killing.

Damascus dived into another round of mounting international pressure following a report by Chief UN investigator Detlev Mehlis on Oct. 20, which said there was "converging evidence" of Syrian and Lebanese involvement in the killing of Hariri in a car bomb blast in Beirut on Feb. 14.

Syria has denied any involvement and dismissed the report as politically motivated, but it has promised to cooperate with the international investigation.

The UN Security Council unanimously adopted resolution 1636 on Oct. 31, demanding Syria cooperate fully with the UN probe in Hariri's killing, or face possible "further action".

Source: Xinhua