Malta still mulling role in Lebanon UN mission

As European Union foreign ministers meet at an extraordinary council meeting in Brussels this afternoon to discuss their contribution towards the United Nations peacekeeping mission in southern Lebanon, known as Unifil, sources close to the government said yesterday Malta's final decision is expected to be taken shortly.

At the same time the sources dismissed any possibility that Malta will commit troops to the operation as it is only considering "logistical support".

Malta will be represented at the foreign ministers meeting by Parliamentary Secretary Tony Abela as Foreign Minister Michael Frendo is accompanying the Prime Minister on a visit to Croatia. Apart from the EU 25 foreign ministers, the meeting will also be attended by United Nations Secretary General Kofi Annan.

The sources told The Times Malta is willing to give its contribution even if this is of a symbolic and technical nature.

Although during the conflict between Israel and the Hizbollah the EU made huge diplomatic efforts in order to resolve the issue, member states are now being very cautious over their actual commitments, particularly on sending military troops to the area.

A meeting at ambassadorial level held on Wednesday in order to draw up a list of troop contingents that member states could contribute did not produce any significant results.

Finland's Foreign Minister Erkki Toumioja, who called today's meeting on Italy's insistence, said yesterday he wants to see the first reinforcements for a UN peacekeeping force in Lebanon arrive within a week.

Until now, only Italy has made a clear commitment by offering to contribute a force of up to 3,000 soldiers to Unifil. Other EU nations considering contributions include France, Spain, Finland, Denmark, Germany, Greece, and Belgium.

A UN ceasefire resolution authorised the expansion of the current UN peacekeeping force in Lebanon from 2,000 to as many as 15,000 troops. Diplomats are expecting that 9,000 of these troops will come from the 25 EU member states, however, according to the current commitments this will not materialise. The UN peacekeepers are to help 15,000 Lebanese troops extend their authority into southern Lebanon, which has been controlled by Hizbollah, as Israel withdraws its soldiers.

On its part, Israel is not making things easier as it has already rejected offers of participation from Malaysia, Bangladesh and Indonesia on the pretext that these are Muslim countries that do not recognise the Jewish state.

Turkey, Morocco, Nepal, New Zealand and China also are considering participating in the UN mission.