Beirut  - The European Union announced on Tuesday that it will send monitors to observe Lebanon's parliamentary elections in June.

"The EU is ready to send a delegation to monitor the June 7 parliamentary elections," EU commissioner for external relations Benita Ferrero-Waldner told reporters after meeting Lebanese Prime Minister Fouad Seniora at the Governmental Palace in downtown Beirut.

The commissioner, who is on a two-day visit to Lebanon, also held talks with President Michel Suleiman, Foreign Minister Fawzi Salloukh and Interior Minister Ziad Baroud.

"The biggest challenge is the parliamentary elections. We are helping the Lebanese government and are ready to send a delegation to monitor the elections," Ferrero-Waldner said.

On Monday the EU pledged 4 million euros (5.1 million US dollars) in technical assistance for the elections.

Ferrero-Waldner also reiterated the European Union's support for the international tribunal created to investigate and try suspects in the assassination of former Lebanese premier Rafik Hariri.

"We back the investigation and the international tribunal. We have pledged 1.5 million dollars for it," Ferrero-Waldner said.

A tribunal to try suspects in the bombing will begin work in The Hague on March 1.

Hariri died in a bomb attack in downtown Beirut on February 14, 2005. A subsequent UN investigation implicated Syrian intelligence in the bombing. dpa