German FM proposes deploying EU force to replace UNIFIL
German Foreign Minister Johannes Wadephul has proposed deploying a European Union force in Lebanon to replace the U.N. peacekeeping mission whose mandate is soon to expire, in order to prevent a security vacuum.
In an interview published Friday by RedaktionsNetzwerk Deutschland, he said, "We in the EU should consider whether we can guarantee that there will be no security vacuum with a European mandate following the UNIFIL mission."
Wadephul said that Lebanon, with a stable government, represents "one of the most promising developments in the region at the moment."
The German minister said that a force with an EU mandate could "create the conditions for an Israeli army withdrawal without Hezbollah's return."
UNIFIL's mandate expires on December 31, 2026. The German parliament extended the country's participation in the mission for the last time just a few weeks ago.
Source: Naharnet
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