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Azerbaijani peacekeepers to stay in Afghanistan after US troop withdrawal

22 May 2013 17:34 (UTC+04:00)
Azerbaijani peacekeepers to stay in Afghanistan after US troop withdrawal

By Sara Rajabova

Azerbaijani peacekeepers will stay in Afghanistan after the withdrawal of US troops from the country by the end of 2014, Azerbaijani Ambassador to NATO Khazar Ibrahim has said.

Azerbaijan is among the eight partner countries that have confirmed their presence in Afghanistan after 2014, he told journalists in Baku.

Ibrahim said, however, that after 2014 Azerbaijan will reduce its contingent in Afghanistan.

"The name and essence of the mission will be changed. A concept for the operations will be prepared. Two respective documents are being developed by NATO after which the countries will define the contribution they will make -- it will be trainings, anti-mine action or supply of equipment," he said, adding that training and support will be organized for Afghan forces.

Azerbaijan is closely involved in the restoration of peace and security in the post-war country. The country's peacekeeping contingent consists of 90 servicemen. In 1997 Azerbaijan established a company, and then a battalion of peacekeepers as part of its armed forces.

The peacekeeping contingent of the Azerbaijani armed forces has been serving under the NATO-led International Security Assistance Force (ISAF) in Afghanistan since 2002. The Azerbaijani peacekeeping contingent started serving with 22-people-strong personnel and the number of the contingent was increased in 2008 and reached the level of a detachment.

The Azerbaijani parliament passed a decision in October 2009 to double the number of peacekeepers in Afghanistan to 90. The Azerbaijani servicemen are serving under the Turkish contingent in ISAF. Detachment personnel is protecting the TV tower in Kabul and ISAF munitions storage as well as carrying out patrol service.

The Azerbaijani envoy went on to say that Azerbaijan's airspace is open for the transportation of goods to Afghanistan and the country has no intention to close it.

35 percent of cargo is transported to Afghanistan via Azerbaijan, and it is also planned to provide opportunities for the transportation of goods by land and maritime routes - via Baku-Tbilisi-Kars railway and the Alat sea port near the Azerbaijani capital Baku, according to Ibrahim.

Meanwhile, Afghan Ambassador to NATO Humayun Tandar told journalists that Afghanistan is considering ways of connecting the country with Europe and in this context Azerbaijan plays an important role for Kabul.

He added that Kabul is holding talks with friendly countries on this issue and in particular on the use of Azerbaijani territory for the transit of Afghan goods and the creation of energy corridors.

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