Foreign ministers gather in Rome for key Mideast conference

European leaders attending a Mideast conference in Rome today plan to push for a ceasefire in Lebanon followed by deployment of a multi-national force to stabilise the country’s border with Israel and help disarm Hezbollah guerrillas, EU officials said.

Calls for a ceasefire gathered steam, raising the possibility of differences with the United States, which insists that any truce must lead to a durable peace and ensure that Hezbollah is no longer a threat to Israel.