U.N. Secretary-General Kofi Annan was trying Friday to persuade European nations to contribute troops to the United Nation's expanded peacekeeping force for Lebanon, building on the momentum created by France's promise to provide 2,000 more soldiers. Most of the European Union's 25 member nations have been reluctant to take part in an expanded U.N. force, known as UNIFIL, because of uncertainty about the force of the mandate. But French President Jacques Chirac's promise late Thursday to increase its current troop commitment fivefold, along with his offer to continue leading the force, was expected to generate momentum for more pledges at Friday's emergency meeting of EU foreign ministers. Belgium _ which earlier hesitated on making a commitment _ became the latest nation to promise troops Friday. «It is our duty to take part, and Belgium will take up its responsibility,» Prime Minister Guy Verhofstadt said before the start of the EU talks. Annan said he hoped for more such pledges Friday. «I came with the hope that I will leave Brussels with a large number of soldiers,» he told reporters after meeting with Verhofstadt. The U.N. has appealed for European troops to balance pledges from several Muslim countries so the force will be broadly acceptable to both to the Israelis and the Lebanese. «I am confident that Europe will provide the necessary support to expand the UNIFIL force to help the government of Lebanon extend its control over all Lebanese territory,» European Commission President Jose Manuel Barroso said earlier, according to a report of the Associated Press.
