BRUSSELS, Sept 1 (Reuters) - More than 10 European Union members are willing to contribute resources and people to a planned mission to advise and train Lebanon's armed forces, EU foreign policy chief Kaja Kallas said on Tuesday.
The proposed mission stems from the EU studying ways to strengthen Lebanese forces to help free up the Lebanese army to focus on disarming the armed group Hezbollah.
Western countries have long called for Lebanon to disarm the Iran-backed group, and doing so is a central component of a ceasefire between Lebanon and Israel aimed at ending a war that has run in parallel with the U.S.-Israeli war against Iran.
The mandate of a U.N. force in Lebanon, UNIFIL, is set to expireat the end of 2026, and it is expected to begin a year-long drawdown and withdrawal.
"The EU is not seeking to replace UNIFIL," Kallas told reporters in Ireland following a gathering of European defence ministers.
"Our objective is to strengthen the Lebanese armed forces and the ability of the Lebanese state to provide security across its territory," she said, adding that planning is progressing well.
An EU official told Reuters that the bloc's aim is to establish the mission in mid-October and then deploy personnel in late 2026 or early 2027.
Kallas did not provide detail on which EU countries would be involved.
France has been trying for several months to organise an international conference that would aim to strengthen the Lebanese armed forces, and also proposed creating an international force as part of efforts to replace UNIFIL.
A senior Western diplomat told Reuters on Tuesday there was limited prospect for major decisions on Lebanon's future before Israel's election in late October. The diplomat also said there was little chance of progress without any clear strengthening of the Lebanese armed forces that would enable them to move into areas previously controlled by Hezbollah.
(Reporting by Inti Landauro, Lili Bayer and John IrishEditing by Alex Richardson and Peter Graff)
