Azernews.Az

By Jamila Babayeva

Afghanistan hopes that Azerbaijani peacemakers will continue their mission in the country after the withdrawal of the ISAF mission in 2014.

"Afghanistan and Azerbaijan have faced with similar problems, including the struggle for independence. We believe that Azerbaijan is able to help Afghanistan," the head of the Department of military general policies and human resources of the Afghanistan's Ministry of Defense ,Mohd Ghasemi Wardak, told journalists in Baku.

"We hope that Azerbaijan will continue to remain involved in Afghanistan after 2014," he noted.

Wardak said Azerbaijan is a model of development for other countries. "We hope that our cooperation with Azerbaijan will be further continued," he noted.

Azerbaijani Defense Minister, Colonel-General Zakir Hasanov recently said Azerbaijan will further contribute to NATO's post 2014 mission.

The peacekeeping mission of Azerbaijani Armed Forces in Afghanistan began on November 20, 2002.

The Azerbaijani peacekeeping contingent in Afghanistan doubled in 2009. Currently, some 90 Azerbaijani servicemen are serving in ISAF. A company and then a battalion of peacekeepers were established as part of the Azerbaijani armed forces in 1997.

Azerbaijan is among the eight partner countries that have confirmed their presence in Afghanistan after 2014. Peacekeepers of the country will stay in Afghanistan after the withdrawal of U.S. troops from the country by the end of 2014. However, Azerbaijan will reduce its presence in Afghanistan after 2014.

Azerbaijan has decided to broaden its activities in Afghanistan's non-military areas. Real cooperation began with Afghan specialists' training in mine sweeping. The preparatory works are underway on Azerbaijani military doctors' activity in Afghan hospitals, education of Afghan people at medical universities, participation of medical personnel in Azerbaijan's educational courses, Afghan military personnel's participation in educational courses at the military academy and other military schools, and Afghan students' education in Azerbaijan.