The European Union is taking firm steps to launch a new mission aimed at advising and training the Armed Forces of Lebanon, with special attention to the security of its borders and maritime surveillance, in view of the expiration in 2027 of the mandate of the United Nations mission in the country (UNIFIL).
The High Representative of the European Union for Foreign Affairs, Kaja Kallas, explained this on Tuesday after the informal meeting of Defense ministers held in Ireland. In this meeting, European officials studied the plans for this new support device for the Lebanese Army, with the intention that the Twenty-Seven can adopt a formal decision for its launch next October.
"The ministers analyzed our plans for a new EU mission to advise and train the Armed Forces of the country, including border and maritime security. The EU does not intend to replace UNIFIL, but we invest in Lebanon's capacity to ensure its own security," she detailed at a press conference.
The Estonian politician emphasized that the purpose is to "strengthen" the Armed Forces and the capacity of the Lebanese state to "guarantee security throughout its territory." According to Kallas, the planning work "is progressing satisfactorily" and the goal remains for the political decision to activate the mission to be adopted in October.
The head of European diplomacy also announced that more than a dozen member states —without specifying which— have already expressed their willingness to contribute personnel and resources to this future deployment, something she positively valued to ensure that the operation has the necessary resources when it receives the green light.
"It is easy to open a mission, but then there is also the question of what we fill that mission with," she pointed out, while highlighting that EU countries are "really willing to contribute" with troops and capabilities.
In her statements, Kallas reiterated that the upcoming European mission "does not seek to replace UNIFIL," but to reinforce the Lebanese state's own capacities so that it can guarantee its internal security, restore order, and maintain "control" of the situation in its territory.