Azerbaijan, Baku, 1 December / Trend corr. T.Jafarov/ A primary agreement has been reached to increase number of Azerbaijani peacekeepers in Afghanistan.
"Both Azerbaijan and Afghanistan have made a positive decision to increase number of the Azerbaijani peacekeepers in Afghanistan during a meeting with the Azerbaijani officials," Muhammad Yunis Ganuni, the speaker of the Afghan National Assembly, told journalists in Baku on 1 December.
In October, the Azerbaijani Parliament has adopted a bill to double number of the peacekeeping contingent in Afghanistan.
A total of 45 Azerbaijani peacekeepers are serving in the composition of the International Security Assistance Forces in Afghanistan. They are fulfilling patrol supervision in Kabul. Their number has reached 90 after it.
Some 95 MPs voted for the bill, one MP - against and one - neutral.
Peacekeeping group was organized in the Azerbaijani National Army in 1997 and then peacekeeping crowd. There are 150 soldiers of the Azerbaijani Armed Forces in the composition of the Multinational Forces in Iraq and 34 of them served in Kosovo, The Azerbaijani servicemen have supervised over 18 villages of the country. About 400 Azerbaijani soldiers have served in Kosovo. The Azerbaijani peacekeeping group in Kosovo served in the composition of the Turkish Armed Forces. After declaration of independence of the country, Azerbaijan withdrew its peacekeepers from Kosovo due to its political views.
At the beginning of November, Azerbaijan withdrew its peacekeepers from Iraq because of expiration of service term of mission.
The meeting with the Azerbaijani officials focused on discussions of perspectives to strengthen struggle against terrorism in the region and international arena, the Parliamentary speaker said.
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