Swedish police on Thursday geared up for tight security around Friday's memorial service in Stockholm for murdered Swedish Foreign Minister Anna Lindh, which will be attended by some of the world's top diplomats.

Swedish police have been stung by criticism that Lindh was unguarded -- as is usual for most Nordic politicians -- when the knife attack took place last week, rekindling memories of the unsolved assassination of Prime Minister Olof Palme in 1986.

With the heads of NATO and the European Commission and the foreign ministers of Britain, Germany, France, Canada and Italy, among others, on the guest list, police were taking no chances with security. U.S. Foreign Secretary Colin Powell had to drop plans to attend because of a severe storm affecting travel.

"We are making strong efforts on these security arrangements and we have enough resources to manage security," Stockholm's police commissioner Rolf Lanen told Reuters.

Police will block access to the entire stretch of lake that laps against the red-brick walls of Stockholm's imposing City Hall, site of the annual Nobel prize ceremonies, where the memorial will start on Friday at 11 am (0900 GMT).

The skies above Stockholm and roads in the city center will be closed to traffic as well, police said.

Foreign diplomats would not discuss security arrangements, but said there would not be diplomatic talks on the sidelines as it would be inappropriate in the circumstances.

PRIVATE FUNERAL

Swedish officials said the body of Lindh, who was stabbed by a lone knifeman while out shopping on September 10, would not be present in a largely non-religious ceremony to include a speech by Swedish Prime Minister Goran Persson and musical tributes by Lindh's favorite singers.

An aide to the late minister said her funeral, whose date has not been disclosed, would be a strictly private affair.

The police's main suspect so far, whose identity has not been made public officially, has denied murdering Lindh, his court-appointed defense lawyer, Gunnar Falk, told Reuters late on Wednesday after his first meeting with his client.

"He denies any kind of involvement," said Falk.

Police said they had the results of DNA comparisons between the 35-year-old male suspect arrested on Wednesday, and material obtained from the murder weapon and a baseball cap found near the crime scene. But they would not reveal the results.

By Friday midday the suspect must either be charged, his detention extended by a court order, or released.

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