The Lebanese State must exercise full control over its territory and ensure that security falls under the authority of the government, EU foreign policy chief Kaja Kallas said, explicitly linking full Lebanese sovereignty to the disarmament of Hezbollah.

Speaking at a joint news conference with Lebanese Foreign Minister Youssef Rajji, Kallas said it was in the European Union’s interest for Lebanon to be sovereign, noting that the country had suffered heavily from regional tensions and had taken important decisions that now needed to be implemented.

“Lebanon has suffered a lot from the tensions in the region,” Kallas said. “We are now looking toward the implementation phase.”

She stressed that security in the region was also in Europe’s interest and said Lebanon must take control of its entire territory.

“That means disarming Hezbollah,” Kallas said, adding that the EU did not want to see a security vacuum in southern Lebanon.

Kallas also stressed that security in Lebanon must be under the authority of the government, underscoring the need for the state to have sole responsibility for security across the country.

She also announced an agreement with Lebanon to establish a European force, stressing that the force would have no role in the situation in southern Lebanon and would not replace the United Nations Interim Force in Lebanon (UNIFIL).

“We have agreed with Lebanon to establish a European force that has nothing to do with the situation in the south and will not replace UNIFIL,” Kallas said. “It will advise and assist the LAF and Internal Security Forces to strengthen territorial control, border security and also internal security."

“It's not the Unifil replacement and it will not only focus on southern Lebanon,” Kallas pointed out.

“There cannot be a security vacuum when Unifil leaves. Lebanon must have full control of its whole territory. That also means moving towards the disarmament of Hezbollah,” she added.

Any international force must have a UN mandate, she said.

“Our member states have been saying that there can’t be any security vacuum in southern Lebanon, so everybody is worried about the UNIFIL mandate ending,” she said in an earlier interview with AFP, adding that “it would be most welcomed if this mandate is extended, so that is the position of the member states.”

Rajji, for his part, said Lebanon was working to restore the authority of the state and put the country back on a path toward stability.