Extraordinary meeting of the General Affairs and External Relations Council to discuss the peace-keeping operation in Lebanon

Government communications unit
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Ministry for Foreign Affairs of Finland

Press release 316/2006
24 August 2006

The General Affairs and External Relations Council of the European Union (GAERC) will convene for an extraordinary meeting on Friday, 25 August to discuss the expansion of the UNIFIL operation in Lebanon. The purpose is to focus on the participation of the Member States in UNIFIL and on the preconditions of a successful operation. The idea is to gather the largest possible European contribution to the operation and to clarify issues that are possibly felt to have remained obscure, such as the tasks of the operation and the rules of engagement. Secretary-General of the United Nations, Kofi Annan, will attend the meeting.

As its second agenda item, the Council will hear the review of the EU High Representative for Common Foreign and Security Policy Javier Solana on Iran's nuclear programme. Furthermore, the meeting intends to adopt the Conclusions concerning the situation in the Democratic Republic of Congo.

Further information: Director of the Unit for Security Policy Kimmo Lähdevirta in respect of the UNIFIL operation, tel. +358 9 1605 5480 or +358 40 587 1948, and Counsellor Tanja Jääskeläinen, Unit for the EU's Common Foreign and Security Policy, tel. +358 9 1605 5330 or +358 40 511 3786