Annan calls for 'considerably larger' peace force

Kofi Annan, UN secretary general, has said he expects the proposed peacekeeping force for Lebanon to be "considerably larger" than the current 2,000-strong UN force in the country.Speaking after talks in Brussels with European Union Commission President Jose Manuel Barroso, he said the UN was yet to "define a specific mandate" for the force, but it would need to be large and powerful.

"Details will have to be worked out including the concept and the size. I would expect a force which is considerably larger than the 2,000 force that is there.

"I'm extremely concerned about developments on the ground ... It is urgent that the international community acts to make a difference on the ground," he said.

Mr Annan said he expected countries in the EU to contribute to the peace force but Mr Barosso said each country must declare its willingness individually.

The proposal for an international stabilisation force was made by leaders of the G8 nations over the weekend.

British Prime Minister Tony Blair said yesterday that the force must have more bite and "far greater" numbers than UNIFIL, which was set up in March 1978 to oversee the volatile border region between Lebanon and Israel.

Italian Prime Minister Romano Prodi talked of 8,000 troops, but the United States has appeared cautious, stressing that all the leaders had done was to ask the United Nations to consider deployment.

After the talks Mr Barosso said the EU believed it could help avoid a further escalation of violence, while also working on humanitarian aid measures in Gaza and Lebanon.