Azerbaijan, Baku / corr Trend S.Agayeva / Azerbaijan is eager to expand its peacekeeping contingent in Afghanistan through dispatching another division of 22 soldiers of the Azerbaijan National Army, Khazar Ibrahim, the spokesman for the Azerbaijani Foreign Ministry, said on 12 September.
This issue was on focus during the talks between Muhammad Kebir Ferahi, the Deputy Foreign Minister of Afghanistan, within the framework of his current working visit to Baku. Ibrahim said that on 13 September he will have a meeting with Khalaf Khalafov, the Azerbaijani Deputy Foreign Minister.
NATO came out with an initiative on expansion of its contingent in Afghanistan. This initiative arose due to necessity of increasing the number of peacekeepers from foreign countries in Afghanistan.
The term of delivery of military is yet to be defined. Ibrahim also noted that Azerbaijani contingent has been in Afghanistan since 2001. Moreover, an Azerbaijani peacekeeping contingent of 150 soldiers and one officer is serving in Iraq. Azerbaijani peacekeepers guard water reservoir Hadifa in Alambar District of Iraq.