BRUSSELS (EJP)--- Despite an apparent united front shown by its presidency, the 25-member European Union could not agree on a statement calling for an immediate ceasefire between Israel and Hezbollah.

Instead, the EU ministers who held an emergency meeting Tuesday to discuss the Mideast crisis, called for “an immediate cessation of hostilities to be followed by a sustainable cease-fire.”

The statement did not explain the difference between "an immediate end to hostilities" and an "immediate cease-fire."

“It means that the war must be stopped and that negotiations held to obtain a sustainable ceasefire,” Javier Solana, the EU foreign policy chief, told journalists.

Unacceptable text

According to diplomatic sources, during the three and-a-half hour meeting British foreign secretary Margaret Beckett discussed an initial draft statement circulated by the EU Finnish presidency calling for an immediate ceasefire for south Lebanon.

A British official said the text, sprung on ministers without prior consultation among EU diplomats, was “unacceptable.”

Britain has agreed with the US position that work is needed to ensure any ceasefire can last, and that a comprehensive peace plan would have to disarm Hezbollah and guarantee the security of Israel’s northern border, before a ceasefire takes effect.

According to the British position, a “call for an end to the violence” should be an element of a long-term peace plan.

All 25 EU ministers must agree on a statement before it is issued.

According to diplomatic sources, France, Sweden, Spain and Greece backed the draft but Britain, Germany, Holland, the Czech Republic and Poland wanted an alternative wording calling rather for a cessation of hostilities.

From L to R: Javier Solana, Erkki Tuomioja and Benita Ferrero-Waldner at the press conference following the EU emergency meeting on Mideast.

“I can affirm that there are no divisions in the EU,” Erkki Tuomioja, Finnish foreign minister, told a press conference after the meeting.

“The most important is that the threat to people be removed and that there will be no killings,” he added.

Finland is currently chairing the European Union.

EU supports UN

The EU ministers also stressed in their statement the readiness of the EU member states “to contribute to a international force to be deployed in southern Lebanon with other partners.”

“The Council fully supports the efforts of the UN Secretary General and the Security Council to be rapidly convened to define a political framework for a lasting solution agreed by all parties, which is a necessary precondition for deployment of an international force,” the statement said.

The UN Security Council is to convene later this week in New York with the aim to get a resolution calling for a ceasefire.

EU members have five of the 15 members on the Security Council, Britain, and France as permanent members, plus Denmark, Greece and Slovakia.

The EU statement said any solution “must include the return of abducted soldiers and prisoners, a settlement of the international borders of Lebanon, deployment of the Lebanese armed forces through the whole of its territory.”

Informed sources said France would contribute with the largest contingent to such a force.

The situation was “critical for the credibility of the EU, especially in playing a mediating role with Lebanon,” Tuomioja said.

“The EU is the only actor in which they still have some trust and confidence.”

Increase support

Earlier Tuesday, Finnish Foreign Minister Erkki Tuomioja said Israel’s decision to intensify the offensive against Hezbollah “will only increase support for the group.”

External Relations Commissioner Benita Ferrero-Waldner said the “killing of innocent people must stop.” “In order to influence Israel “the EU must have a united position,” she added.

She said that any solution should include Syria. “Like it or not, they’re an influential player in the region,” she said.

Israel’s Prime Minister Ehud Olmert said there was no end to the hostilities in sight and air strikes would resume early Wednesday morning after a 48-hour suspension.

Israeli Tourism Minister Yitzhak Herzog said today at least 400 Hizbollah fighters had been killed in three weeks of fighting in Lebanon.
The overall death toll is thought to be at least 617 people in Lebanon and 51 Israelis.

Fighting erupted July 12 after Hezbollah kidnapped two Israeli soldiers and killed 8 others in an ambush in northern Israel close to the border with Lebanon.