CAIRO - Syrian Vice President Faruq al-Shara called on Lebanon Tuesday not to "politicise" a proposed UN court to try suspects in the 2005 murder of Lebanese ex-premier Rafiq Hariri, widely blamed on Damascus.

"The tribunal was agreed in principle by all the parties in Lebanon and should not be used as a (weapon) nor should it be politicised," Shara told reporters after meeting Egyptian President Hosni Mubarak in Cairo.

Saad Hariri, Lebanon's parliamentary majority leader and son of the slain premier, has accused Syria of undermining attempts to set up the tribunal.

Pro-Syrian opposition parties are calling for an amendment to the draft legislation setting up the tribunal and parliament speaker Nabih Berri refuses to convene a session of parliament to debate the government's bill until the issue is resolved.

"We have said time and again that ... Syria is cooperating fully and will continue to cooperate until the end," Shara said.

Lebanon has been in turmoil since the 2005 murder of the billionaire politician, which has been widely blamed on Syria. After the killing, Damascus was forced to end the 29-year military domination of its small neighbour.

But since then Lebanon has been shaken by further attacks -- often blamed on Syria -- last summer's devastating war between Israel and the Shiite militants of Hezbollah and an opposition campaign to bring down the rump anti-Syrian government left after the departure of six Damascus allies last November.

The stand-off with the opposition, including Berri, has paralysed the government, freezing its legislative programme, including the flagship plans for the international court. -AFP