Special report: Israel-Lebanon Conflicts   [ Video ][Gallery]

    ROME, Sept. 9 (Xinhua) -- Syrian President Bashar Assad has agreed to allow the European Union (EU) to send troops to its border with Lebanon to help control the passage of weapons between the two countries, Italian Premier Romano Prodi said Saturday.

    "I reminded President Assad that the European Union has significant experience in training programs for frontier guards, and that the idea of an EU mission of assistance on the border between Syria and Lebanon would be an excellent signal of cooperation between Syria and Europe," Prodi said in a statement.

    The statement said Prodi had spoken with Assad by telephone several times over the last few days, and Assad gave Prodi "his accord in principle."

    Prodi said the number of EU troops will be "several hundred" and Assad had also agreed to deploy 500 extra guards on its border with Lebanon.

    The Italian premier said that he had informed the EU foreign policy chief Javier Solana and the UN Secretary General Kofi Annanof the plan, and he hoped EU foreign ministers will talk about the issue when they meet in Brussels next week.

    Italy has offered to deploy up to 3,000 soldiers in southern Lebanon as part of an expanded multinational UN force to monitor aceasefire adopted last month between Israel and Hezbollah guerrillas after a 34-day war. Enditem