UNITED NATIONS, Nov. 21 (Xinhua) -- The UN Security Council approved on Tuesday a letter to Secretary-General Kofi Annan, which authorizes the creation of an international tribunal to try the suspects in the murder of former Lebanese Prime Minister Rafik Hariri, the French envoy to the UN said.

    Jean-Marc de la Sabliere told reporters as he emerged from a council meeting at which council members also adopted a presidential statement "unequivocally" condemning the assassination of Lebanese Industry Minister Pierre Gemayel.

    The letter, prepared by Peru's Ambassador Jorge Voto-Bernales of Peru, the council's president for November, invites the UN chief to "proceed, together with the Government of Lebanon, in conformity with the Constitution of Lebanon, with the final steps for" the creation of the special tribunal.

    The 15 council members had until 6 p.m. (2300 GMT) to make a decision on the plan, which was submitted by Annan to the council last Wednesday, but approved it more than two hours early.

    Annan's plan calls for the establishment of the tribunal "outside Lebanon," in a location which would "require the conclusion of a headquarters agreement between the United Nations, the Lebanese Republic and the state of the seat."

    Fifty-one percent of the cost of the new court will be paid by voluntary contributions from UM member states while the rest will be borne by the Lebanese government, the letter says.

    The court could be set up when Annan has sufficient funding to finance its establishment and its first year of operations, as well as enough pledged contributions to support the succeeding two years' of operations.

    Empowered by the council to negotiate an agreement with the Lebanese government on the set-up of the court, Annan sent a draft plan to the government for approval earlier this month.

    Despite the objection of the Lebanese president and the resignation of six ministers, the Lebanese cabinet approved the blueprint last week and send it back to Annan who then submitted to the council for the UN's endorsement.

    The blueprint would now have to be approved by the Lebanese parliament, ratified by the president with the agreement of the prime minister.

    Shortly after the cabinet the approval, Lebanese President Emile Lahoud sent a letter to the UN chief, expressing strong reservations on the draft.

    Hariri and 22 other people were killed in a powerful bombing on the Beirut seafront on Feb. 14 last year, causing a mass anti- Syrian wave which prompted the withdrawal of Syrian troops from Lebanon.

    Security Council Resolution 1664, adopted on March 29, asked Annan to negotiate an agreement with the government aimed at establishing an international tribunal to help Lebanon "in the search for the truth and in holding all those involved in this terrorist attack accountable."