The lead spokesperson for EU external affairs, Peter Stano, said on Tuesday:

"The European Union recalls that the investigation into the Beirut port blast should be completed as soon as possible, and that it should be impartial, credible, transparent as well as independent.

"The investigation should be allowed to proceed without any interference in legal proceedings and those responsible for this tragedy should be held accountable.

"It is up to the Lebanese authorities to enable the investigation to continue with all the necessary human and financial resources, so it can finally shed light on what happened in August last year and provide credible answers to the pressing questions from the Lebanese people about why it happened and how it happened."