Armenian peacekeepers prepare for Afghanistan mission in Germany

PanARMENIAN.Net - Members of the peacekeeping brigade of the Armenian armed forces have left for Germany to participate in preparatory exercises ahead of a peacekeeping mission in Afghanistan.

Before departure, Peacekeeping Brigade Commander, Major General Artur Simonyan met with the peacekeepers, urging them to properly fulfill their mission and remain faithful to the Armenian army’s traditions.

The country has been participating in the Afghanistan mission since 2010. As part of the NATO-led International Security Assistance Force (ISAF), Armenia contributed 45 peacekeepers, serving under German command and tasked with a limited mission to provide security for an airport in Konduz. On May 11, 2011, the Armenian parliament formally approved the Ministry of Defense request to expand the Armenian contingent from 45 to 130 and voted to endorse an agreement reached with the German Command on prolonging the participation of Armenian peacekeepers in the mission through the end of 2012. As of September 2015, Armenia maintains 130 peacekeepers in Afghanistan. This peacekeeping mission also represented an upgraded mission for Armenian personnel, including five Operational Mentor and Liaison Team Officers who were primarily responsible for training and assisting Afghan national army units.