The European Union has pledged up to seven thousands troops for an expanded UN peacekeeping force in Lebanon. The decision came out of an international conference in Brussells.

• Lebanese Foreign Minister Fawzi Salloukh: “We are happy here in Lebanon because the Brussels conference yielded positive results. The decision taken by sending about 7000 to 8000 European soldiers to join the UNIFIL is of great assistance and help the Lebanese army which has already started to deploy in the south of Lebanon.”