More than 10 EU countries 'eager to contribute to Lebanon mission'
More than 10 EU states are willing to contribute resources and people to a new military and civilian mission to advise and train Lebanese forces after the withdrawal of UN peacekeepers later this year, the bloc's foreign policy chief Kaja Kallas said on Tuesday. The mission would aim to strengthen Lebanon's Internal Security Forces to help free up the Lebanese army to focus on disarming the…
EU leaders are eager to support a new military and civilian mission to assist Lebanon in the wake of UN peacekeepers' planned withdrawal, according to EU Foreign Policy Chief Kaja Kallas. The mission would focus on strengthening Internal Security Forces to free up the Lebanese army to tackle the Iran-backed Hezbollah group. Kallas stated that planning is advancing well, with the EU Council expected to make a decision on launching the mission in October at a meeting of EU Defence Ministers in Ireland.
Irish Foreign and Defence Minister Helen McEntee echoed these sentiments, emphasizing the need to avoid a void following UN Interim Force in Lebanon's scheduled departure on December 31. The US vetoed Unifil's mandate renewal last year, after nearly 50 years of deployment, leaving a potential gap in regional security. Ireland, among the top contributors to the current force of over 7,000 peacekeepers from 46 countries, aims to collaborate with Lebanon to establish order and enhance border and maritime security.
Lebanon may seek to extend Unifil's mandate through UN Security Council approval, and France, currently leading the UN Security Council's rotating presidency, is open to backing an extension if Lebanese authorities deem it necessary.
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