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Lajcak: Number of Slovak Soldiers in Afghanistan to Go Up by Hundreds
Wednesday 02 December 2009 Zoom in | Print page
Bratislava, December 2 (TASR) - The involvement of Slovakia's army in Afghanistan will increase by hundreds of soldiers, Slovak Foreign Affairs Minister Miroslav Lajcak said on Wednesday.
"It's been said that we'll increase our presence considerably or even double it," he added. "It's too early to speak about precise figures at the moment, as this is up to the Defence Minister (Jaroslav Baska)."
According to Lajcak, U.S. President Barack Obama's decision to boost the presence of U.S. soldiers in Afghanistan is an indication of a responsible attitude.
"I'm certain NATO will respond positively, too," he said, adding that success can be attained in the war-torn country by coupling military and civilian means. "This is the building of a functioning society, and this is what our humanitarian and development aid is related to," he added.
NATO is boosting its presence in Afghanistan, while, in turn, the Alliance intends to cut down on the number of its soldiers in Kosovo. "The plans are supposed to cut down on the proportional presence in several stages, which will obviously impact our military presence, too," he noted, adding that the process of reduction is to be split into several phases over several years.
"The case is that military threats aren't present in Kosovo. The EULEX mission, which focuses on police officers, judges and the building of a state with the rule of law, is taking over the main role," concluded Lajcak.
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