Italian Foreign Minister Massimo D'Alema arrived Wednesday in Beirut for a one-day visit during which he will hold talks with Lebanese officials.

D'Alema is scheduled to meet with Premier Fouad Seniora and House Speaker Nabih Berri, a government source said.

The Italian official will then visit his country's contingent in the United Nations Interim Forces in southern Lebanon (UNIFIL), in Tebnine, to wish them a happy holiday, according to a UN source.

Italy's contribution to the UNIFIL force is 2,500 troops, the largest after France, which has 2,000 troops and is currently commanding the UNIFIL.

UN resolution 1701, which ended 33-days of war on Lebanon between Hezbollah and Israel on August 14, stipulates that a beefed-up UNIFIL force monitors the border between Lebanon and Israel along with 15,000 Lebanese army troops. -DPA