Member states of the European Union (EU) have pledged more than half of the peacekeeping force needed for a UN mission in south Lebanon, said UN chief Kofi Annan on Friday.

"Europe is providing the backbone of the force," Annan told reporters after an extraordinary meeting of the EU foreign ministers.

"I am very, very encouraged by the firm commitments we have received here at this meeting. I was very confident that Europe wanted to assume its responsibilities and show its solidarity with the people of Lebanon."

Finnish Foreign Minister Erkki Tuomioja, who chaired the meeting, said EU member states have pledged between 5,600 and 6, 900 new troops for the UN mission in Lebanon.

In addition, EU countries have also pledged naval, air and logistic support for the UN mission.

The ground troops and support staff combined will exceed half of the 15,000 personnel for the mission agreed on by the UN Security Council earlier this month.

EU countries have already ground troops in the current 2,000- strong UN mission in Lebanon, UNIFIL. The new 15,000-strong UN mission is called UNIFIL 2 by Annan.

The new troops will be deployed in three phases, with the first 3,000 to 4,000 troops arriving very quickly, said Annan.

Tuomioja, whose country holds the EU presidency, said the first troops could be deployed in a week.

The UN mission will be put under the command of France until February 2007, when Italy will take over command, said Annan.

A new strategic cell will be established at the UN headquarters in New York, which will be headed by an Italian general, said Annan.

Italy, which was reportedly committing the largest number of troops, had been tipped to lead the mission. But after France decided to substantially increase its pledge to 2,000 troops, Annan has asked France to lead the new mission.

Lebanon had been ruled by France, first as part of the French mandate of Syria, then as an independent republic after World War I.

The month-old conflict between Israel and south Lebanon-based Hezbollah ended with a cessation of hostilities on Aug. 14. But a UN mission is designed to translate the cessation of hostilities to a cease-fire and help find a long-term solution in the region.

Source: Xinhua