Azerbaijan increases number of peacekeepers in NATO’s Resolute Support Mission in Afghanistan

Baku, January 10, AZERTAC According to the rotation plan, a group of 70 Azerbaijani military servicemen was sent to Afghanistan for serving within NATO-led Resolute Support mission in Afghanistan, Azerbaijan`s Defense Ministry said. Given the importance of ensuring stability and security within this country, the NATO leadership has recently called on the Alliance members and partner countries to increase the number of forces participating in the Resolute Support mission in Afghanistan. During his speech at NATO Headquarters in Brussels on November 23, 2017, President of the Republic of Azerbaijan, the Supreme Commander-in-Chief of the Armed Forces Ilham Aliyev announced that the number of Azerbaijani peacekeepers will be increased in 2018. To this end, on December 29, 2017, the Azerbaijani parliament amended the Resolution “On giving consent to the deployment and participation in the relevant operations in Afghanistan of military troops of the Armed Forces of the Republic of Azerbaijan as part of the battalion of the Armed Forces of the Republic of Turkey and under the general command of NATO structures". The Ministry of Defense of Azerbaijan, in coordination with the relevant state authorities of the country and the NATO command, has completed all necessary procedures related to the increase of the number of the Azerbaijani peacekeeping contingent. The number of Azerbaijani peacekeepers has been increased from 94 to 120 servicemen beginning from 2018, including six Azerbaijani officers, who will be represented at various headquarters of the NATO Resolute Support mission, as well as two military doctors.