Cabinet to discuss creation of European civil-military mission in Lebanon
The government will on Thursday discuss a proposal from the Foreign Ministry to establish a European civil-military mission in Lebanon for a three-year period, al-Akhbar newspaper reported.
The mission aims to "contribute to the full implementation of Resolution 1701 (2006), assist the government in strengthening state institutions and authority, and consolidate the state's monopoly on the use of force by supporting the Lebanese Armed Forces and the Internal Security Forces in asserting control over all Lebanese territory," the report said.
The Ministry’s proposal stems from a memorandum received by Prime Minister Nawaf Salam from the European Union Delegation on August 5. The memorandum included a letter from the EU High Representative for Foreign Affairs and Security Policy, Kaja Kallas, confirming readiness to establish a European mission in Lebanon within the framework of the EU’s Common Security and Defense Policy (CSDP).
In her letter, Kallas explains that -- following discussions by the Lebanon-EU Association Council (announced on December 15, 2025, as an extension of the 2002 Association Agreement) -- the EU is advancing preparations to establish a European civil-military mission. A review of the memorandum by the Lebanese Foreign Ministry indicates that obtaining the Lebanese government's approval has become necessary as European preparations near completion.
The Lebanese Foreign Ministry anticipates that the mission will not currently undertake any tasks south of the Litani River, "in light of the ongoing war between Israel and Hezbollah," as stated in the Ministry's letter.
Source: Naharnet
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