BEIRUT, Lebanon - A top British politician urged Syria Wednesday to "recognize Lebanon as a sovereign independent state and to set up diplomatic relations with it," stressing the necessity that it fully cooperate with the UN probe into former Premier Rafik Hariri's murder. British Foreign Secretary Jack straw was speaking during his two-day visit to Lebanon, the first by a British official since Syria was forced to withdraw its troops and intelligence agents from Lebanon last April following the assassination of Hariri, for which Syria and its Lebanese allies were blamed.

"I urge Syria to fully cooperate with the Security Council resolutions, in particular with the UN investigation into the assassination of Hariri," Straw told reporters following a meeting with Premier Fouad Siniora.

Straw strongly denied any intentions, be they international or British, to change the regime in Syria. "We have no policy whatsoever of regime change in Syria and any change of government in Syria must be a matter of the Syria people."

"Again let me say, I urge Syria to do what it has done

with so many countries around the world which is to exchange ambassadors, to recognize Lebanon as an independent sovereign neighbor of Damascus," he added. Commenting on the implementation of 1559, Straw said: "Resolution 1559 does not lay down a specific time frame, it is important that all groups like Hizbullah are disarmed."

However Straw said: "What the international community wants to see is the government of Syria, whoever that is, meeting its international obligations especially those laid down in a series of Security Council resolutions as well as cooperating with the Hariri investigations."

Straw is the third top British official to visit Beirut since the end of the 1975-1990 war.

He promised the Lebanese during his visit "the full support of the international community in seeking to emerge from these terrible events to build a stable democracy."

He was referring to the string of bombings and assassinations that targeted prominent anti-Syrian officials and journalists over the last year.

He said: "I bring the strong backing of the U.K. for Siniora's approach to reform based on democracy, good governance, the rule of law and respect for all religious groups."

Britain is one of the major donor countries to participate in the "Beirut 1" aid conference, expected to be held in the next couple of months in the city.

Straw's meeting with Siniora was attended by British Ambassador to Beirut James Watt and Lebanese Foreign Affairs minister Fawzi Salloukh and other Lebanese and British officials.

Straw stressed that the international community is clear about its responsibilities toward Lebanon and that it has passed resolution 1559 - which partially calls for the disarmament of Hizbullah and Palestinian factions - to ensure that Lebanon "is fully able to become sovereign in practice and theory."

He said: "We will not stand by and allow that sovereignty to be compromised."

Straw has excluded Lebanese President Emile Lahoud from his agenda, saying the arrangements made by Premier Siniora were "satisfactory."

Straw also met with the committees of families of those detained in Israeli and Syrian jails, who gave him a letter urging him to look into the cases of their "loved ones, who continue to be held in jails or are missing." (Daily Star)