UN Secretary-General Kofi Annan had proposed to the European Union (EU) foreign ministers' special meeting that France and Italy share the leadership of the UN peacekeeping force in south Lebanon, an Italian diplomat said on Friday.

Annan proposed that a French general command the UN force in Lebanon till February 2007, and after that an Italian general take the helm, the diplomat said.

According to the diplomat, Italy told the meeting that it would send 3,000 troops to Lebanon, making it the biggest contributor to the UN peacekeeping mission in Lebanon.

In addition, the diplomat said Spain would dispatch 1,200 soldiers to the international force in Lebanon, Poland, 250 soldiers, and Belgium, nearly 400 soldiers.

On Thursday, France announced it would increase its peacekeepers in Lebanon to a total of 2,000.

Source: Xinhua