Lebanon conference in Rome to discuss peacekeeper plans : Lavrov

Moscow, July 24 (UNI) Russian Foreign Minister Sergei Lavrov today said the international conference on Lebanon, in Rome on July 26, would focus on deploying peacekeepers to the conflict zone.

''A great deal is still unclear: how the forces will be set up, who will send contingents and what mandate they will have,'' Mr Lavrov informed President Vladimir Putin at a Cabinet meeting.

He added the diplomatic efforts were being resumed to resolve the West Asian crisis.

The conference would also touch upon a ceasefire, the release of hostages and prisoners of war and security measures in line with decisions reached at the G-8 summit in St Petersburg.

On a proposal to deploy peacekeeping forces, Mr Lavrov told RIA Novosti news agency that Russia took the position that both sides in the conflict had to agree to any deployment and the UN Security Council had to approve a mandate for them.

The foreign ministers of Russia, Britain, the United States, France, Italy, Lebanon, Jordan, Saudi Arabia and Egypt, as well as representatives of the UN, European Union and the World Bank will attend the conference.

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