UNITED NATIONS, Feb. 14 (Xinhuanet) -- UN Secretary-General Kofi Annan strongly condemns on Monday the assassination of former Lebanese Prime Minister Rafik Hariri.

    The secretary said in a statement that he learned with great sadness and shock of the brutal murder of Hariri.

    Hariri's death is an immense loss to Lebanon, the region and the international community, said the secretary.

    He noted Hariri will always be remembered for his dedication to the people of Lebanon, for his success as a statesman and a businessman, for his great achievements in the reconstructions of Lebanon after a long an d ugly conflicts, and for his courage and directness in public and in private.

    The secretary also sends his deepest condolences to Hariri's wife and family, as well as to all the other bereaved families.

    Meanwhile, he condemns in the strongest terms those who instigated, planed and executed this callous political assassination.

    He urges all Lebanese to exercise utmost restraint, and to use peaceful means in support of their national aspiration to full sovereignty, independence and territorial integrity.

    Hariri, together with two former ministers and a number of others, was killed in a powerful explosion in central Beirut earlier Monday. Enditem