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Slovakia to Send More Troops to Afghanistan
Wednesday 27 January 2010 Zoom in | Print page
Bratislava, January 27 (TASR) - Slovakia will dispatch another 100 soldiers to Afghanistan later this year, Defence Minister Jaroslav Baska (Smer-SD nominee) said after Government's session on Wednesday.
"We want to form two operational training teams, with an eye towards training the Afghan National Army. We plan to send a military police team there – whether it be to train the Afghan Army or Afghan National Police," said Baska, adding that 244 soldiers currently serve in the ISAF Military Operation in Afghanistan and this is bound to increase to more than 400 in 2010.
Aside from strengthening Slovakia's military presence in Afghanistan, Baska said that mandate restrictions on sapper unit should be lifted in future - thus expanding the unit's operational range to the whole of Kandahar province and the Uruzgan area. In addition, Slovakia should also dispatch a guard unit to provide security for the sappers. Baska didn't specify the costs needed for additional troops.
The Government has agreed on Wednesday to deploy a guard unit featuring 57 Armed Forces members to the ISAF Military Operation. "This is just the first batch," said Baska. He added that the mandate for Slovakia's guard units has been subject to change lately, allowing guard units to operate both in the Kandahar and Uruzgan provinces.
The deployment will cost Slovakia €3.4 million.
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