PARIS - French President Jacques Chirac on Monday again called on Syria to "cooperate without restrictions" with the United Nations investigation into the murder of Lebanon's former prime minister Rafiq Hariri.

Chirac made his comments while meeting Saudi Arabia's foreign minister Saud al-Faisal, whose country is trying to head off a crisis with Syria, the president's office said.

Saudi King Abdullah held a summit meeting Sunday in Jeddah with Syrian President Bachar al-Assad.

The UN probe into Hariri's murder in February has already implicated Lebanese and Syrian officials, and UN officials have requested interviews with Assad and also Syria's foreign minister Faruq al-Shara.

UN investigators have not indicated yet whether or not the Syrian leader has agreed to talk with them.

Chirac also said "it was necessary to allow the Lebanese people and their leaders to fully and freely express their political views," according to his office.

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