Lebanese officials are seeking to coordinate their stances ahead of U.N. chief Ban Ki-moon’s visit to Beirut on Friday to avoid tarnishing Lebanon’s image, informed sources said.

The sources told An Nahar daily on Tuesday that consultations are underway between major political forces led by Hizbullah to agree on the broad Lebanese stance on several controversial issues that could be discussed by Ban and the Lebanese officials.

Special Envoy for the implementation of Security Council resolution 1559 Terje Roed-Larsen may propose during his upcoming visit to Lebanon with U.N. chief Ban Ki-moon deploying the U.N. Interim Force in Lebanon along the border with Syria, reported the Kuwaiti al-Qabas newspaper on Saturday.

It explained that the Norwegian official considers such a move an attempt to further isolate the Syrian regime and limit the smuggling of arms across the Lebanese-Syrian border.

Prime Minister Najib Miqati stressed on Thursday the important role the United Nations Interim Force in Lebanon has played in maintaining the security and stability of southern Lebanon.

He said after holding talks with UNIFIL Commander Major General Alberto Asarta at the Grand Serail: “The international troops’ mission will be complete when the Lebanese army assumes full responsibility of the security of the South.”

The recent claims about the presence of al-Qaida in Lebanon have pushed U.N. chief Ban Ki-moon to stir the issue of the demarcation of the Lebanese-Syrian border with top Lebanese officials next week, informed sources said Thursday.

The sources told An Nahar daily that Defense Minister Fayez Ghosn’s allegations that al-Qaida was operating in the eastern town of Arsal and the contradictory statements made by officials later on, have forced Ban to discuss with the Lebanese officials about a request to demarcate the border in accordance with U.N. Security Council resolution 1680.

Lebanon will host this month a U.N. conference on democracy in the Arab world, with a slew of high-level dignitaries, including U.N. chief Ban Ki-moon, due to attend, organizers and Lebanese officials said Tuesday.

The two-day conference entitled "Reform and Transitions to Democracy" will be held January 15 and 16. It is organized by the United Nations Economic and Social Commission for Western Asia (ESCWA).

U.N. chief Ban Ki-moon will visit Lebanon next week to meet with officials as well as members of the U.N. peacekeeping force deployed in the south of the country, a government official told Agence France Presse.

The official said Ban's three-day trip would start on January 13.

Israeli defense officials have accused Hizbullah of involvement in the latest roadside bombing on French peacekeepers serving with UNIFIL near the southern city of Tyre, Israeli daily Haaretz reported.

The newspaper said the defense officials believe French Foreign Minister Alain Juppe is right in accusing Hizbullah of having a hand in the bombing that left five troops injured.

President Michel Suleiman toured southern Lebanon on Thursday to inspect army troops and UNIFIL units stationed south of the Litani River.

Defense Minister Fayez Ghosn and Army chief Gen. Jean Qahwaji accompanied Suleiman.

The director for United Nations and international organizations in the French Foreign Ministry Nicolas de Riviere renewed on Tuesday France’s support to Lebanon and its commitment to maintaining the stability and security of the South.

The French Embassy said in a statement: “De Riviere informed Lebanese officials during his trip to Lebanon that France will remain part of the United Nations Interim Force in Lebanon in order to preserve the stability of Lebanon and the region.”

U.N. Special Coordinator for Lebanon ad interim Robert Watkins welcomed on Tuesday Lebanon’s continuing commitment to U.N. Security Council resolution 1701.

He said after holding talks with Foreign Minister Adnan Mansour: “Lebanon and Israel should be doing more to ensure that the remaining requirements of the resolution are met.”