EU to launch training and support mission for Lebanese army: foreign policy chief

The European Union is set to establish a new mission to train and advise the Lebanese armed forces, the bloc's foreign policy chief Kaja Kallas said Thursday, stressing that the mission will not replace the UN peacekeeping force in southern Lebanon.

Speaking at a press conference with Lebanese Foreign Minister Youssef Rajji in Beirut, Kallas said planning for the EU's new support mission had been completed and that the bloc had received a formal invitation from Lebanese authorities.

She said she expected EU foreign ministers to formally establish the mission on Oct. 12.

"It will advise and assist the Lebanese armed forces and internal security forces to strengthen territorial control, border security, and also internal security," she said, stressing that the mission would operate in line with UN Security Council Resolution 1701 and would not serve as a replacement for the UN Interim Force in Lebanon (UNIFIL).

Kallas said UNIFIL had played an important role in Lebanon for almost five decades, adding that discussions were underway about the future of the UN presence in southern Lebanon.

"There cannot be a security vacuum when UNIFIL leaves Lebanon," she warned.

She said European countries currently contributing troops to UNIFIL could potentially contribute to a future international force, but stressed that such a force would require a UN mandate.

Kallas also linked Lebanon's stability to developments in neighboring Syria, welcoming stronger cooperation between Beirut and Damascus.