PARIS, July 25: France on Tuesday demanded a political agreement between Israel and Lebanon, including a commitment by Lebanon to disarm Hezbollah, before the deployment of an international force in the region.

Outlining France’s position, foreign ministry spokesman Jean-Baptiste Mattei acknowledged that Paris was at odds with the United States on some points of its strategy, notably the necessary order of events and its view on prisoner exchanges.

“There needs to be a ceasefire beforehand, a defined political framework and a political agreement between the parties. Then after that an international force could be deployed,” Mattei said.

Part of the agreement would be that “from the Lebanese side there is a commitment to disarm the militia”, including Hezbollah, following United Nations Security Council resolution 1559.

Mattei said that France and Washington did not agree on the order of events.

“The difference is the sequence,” said Mattei. “The Americans want to put in place an intervention force very quickly, without a political agreement between the parties.

“This force would have the role of restoring calm but without there necessarily being an agreement on the political basis for a sustainable ceasefire.”

The French government was also open-minded on the question of prisoner exchanges, Mattei said.

Hezbollah captured two Israeli soldiers on July 12, leading the Jewish state to launch its two-week-long assault on its neighbour.

“This exchange of prisoners could be one of the elements of an agreement but we do not have fixed ideas about whether that should be before or after,” said Mattei.

France and the United States have a history of disagreements over policy in the Middle East.

France’s opposition to the US-led invasion of Iraq bitterly divided the two countries.

French Foreign Minister Philippe Douste-Blazy was expected to meet US Secretary of State Condoleezza Rice at Middle East crisis talks in Rome on Wednesday.—AFP