BRUSSELS, October 9. /TASS/. The permanent contingent of the European Union’s civil-military mission in Lebanon is expected to comprise around 100 personnel, the Rapporteur portal reported, citing sources.

Following a meeting between Lebanese President Joseph Aoun and EU foreign policy chief Kaja Kallas in Beirut on October 8, it was announced that the European Union had decided to establish a civil-military mission in Lebanon.

According to the portal, most of the contingent will consist of personnel from Italy, France and Spain. The majority of the soldiers will be stationed in Beirut, with no deployment planned near the Lebanese-Israeli border. The mission’s structure is expected to be finalized at the Foreign Affairs Council meeting on October 12, while an advance team is due to arrive in Lebanon in December.

According to a source cited by the portal, France insists that it is ready to take command during the initial phase, while Italy has already selected a candidate to head the mission. Command is expected to rotate annually.

On October 8, Kallas said the mission would assist and advise Lebanon’s armed forces and law enforcement agencies. It was also specified that the mission would not replace the United Nations Interim Force in Lebanon (UNIFIL), the UN peacekeeping contingent deployed in the south of the country, whose mandate expires at the end of this year.