France called yesterday for a European Union meeting next week to co-ordinate what member countries plan to do about a UN force for Lebanon.
"We ask that European solidarity is expressed as soon as possible about Lebanon," foreign minister Philippe Douste-Blazy told France Info radio, adding he had asked EU president Finland to call a meeting in Brussels early next week.
France wanted "to know what our different European partners count on doing as quickly as possible about Lebanon", he said.
France has pledged to send only 200 extra troops to Lebanon, disappointing Washington and the United Nations, which had hoped it would form the backbone of an expanded UN force.
On Saturday, President Jacques Chirac spoke to leaders from several countries, including Italy's Romano Prodi and Finnish prime minister Matti Vanhanen, to stress the need for a clearer mandate for the UN Interim Force in Lebanon (Unifil).
In Rome, Mr Prodi's office said he discussed the force in separate telephone conversations with Israeli prime minister Ehud Olmert and Lebanese prime minister Fouad Siniora.
Both men told Mr Prodi they appreciated that Italy was ready "to assume a role of primary importance" in the mission. Italy's chances of leading the force have increased following France's apparent reluctance to commit more troops.
A Finnish official said France was asking for a meeting of the EU's Political and Security Committee on Wednesday. "The meeting is to discuss what the countries are going to do in Lebanon. Even though it's not an EU mission, it's to co-ordinate what different EU countries are going to do," said Susanna Parkkonen, spokeswoman for Finnish foreign minister Erkki Tuomioja.
She said those attending would be diplomats, and possibly military specialists, from the 25 member states. No foreign ministers were expected to attend.
Mr Chirac told leaders to whom he spoke that the composition of the UN force needed to be balanced and to reflect the commitment of the entire international community, in particular, of EU countries, his office said.
Asked about other EU states' contributions to an enlarged UN force, Mr Douste-Blazy said he believed there would be two phases, the first an urgent one, of which the decision to send 200 extra French troops to Lebanon was part. About 50 French peacekeepers arrived in south Lebanon on Saturday and 150 more left France for Lebanon yesterday.
Germany pressed at the weekend for a clear and robust mandate for the force and said its troops needed concrete guidelines. Berlin has ruled out sending ground troops but has offered to send its navy to help prevent weapons shipments from reaching Hizbullah via the coast.
- (Reuters)