ITALY: Foreign minister Massimo D'alema says France to increase contingent in U.N. force for Lebanon during news conference with Israeli Foreign minister Tzipi Livni

Italy's Foreign Minister Massimo D'Alema said on Thursday (August 24, 2006) he expects French President Jacques Chirac to announce a "substantial increase" in the French contribution to a U.N. force for Lebanon in an address due later on Thursday (August 24). "The latest news is that tonight Chirac should announce a substantial increase," D'Alema said at a joint news conference with Israeli Foreign Minister Tzipi Livni in Rome. Chirac is due to address France at 1800 GMT on Lebanon, as a newspaper report said Paris was ready to pledge more troops. 'We are working towards a strong international mission' D'Alema said. France led calls for a robust international force to police a shaky ceasefire between Israel and Hizbollah guerrillas, but has been heavily criticised for pledging only an extra 200 soldiers to Lebanon to bolster an existing U.N. force. Italy, which is expected to lead the force authorised by the United Nations to total 15,000, has committed up to 3,000 troops and has called a meeting of European Union foreign ministers on Friday to press for a greater commitment from other countries. Le Monde daily said France would increase its contingent in the Unifil force but the figure would "probably be less than 2,000 men," it quoted a diplomatic source as saying. Livni urged the international community to take advantage of a "window of opportunity" to make a strong commitment to a truce in place in southern Lebanon, where Israel and Hizbollah fought a 34-day war after Hizbollah kidnapped two Israel soldiers. 'There is a need of full and quick implementation of resolution 1701 and I believe that this can be a window of opportunity for a new era in Lebanon' she said. Potential donors to the U.N. force expressed concern about the lack of a clear and strong mandate which could hinder troops on the ground and leave them unable to defend themselves if they come under fire, like the existing UNIFIL force in Lebanon. But the United Nations has now authorised the force to use weapons in self-defence and to defend civilians.

ITN Source | August 26, 2006

Tags:. .french. .due. .quoted. .probably. .figure