| Submit your comments on this article |
| Iraq |
| Armenia's Third Contingent of Peacekeepers Now in Iraq |
| 2006-01-28 |
| On Jan. 18 Armenia sent a third contingent of peacekeepers to Iraq, replacing the country`s second contingent of troops dispatched there on July 13. At a ceremony for the departing soldiers Deputy Minister of Defense Lt. Gen. Arthur Aghabekyan said, 'We have repeatedly stated that our contribution to Iraq`s restoration is, first of all, a question of moral duty. We ought to give a hand to the friendly Iraqi people and to make our modest contribution to the work of our partners.' The troops will initially go to Kuwait for outfitting and training, ARMINFO News agency reported. The Armenian humanitarian contingent consists of 46 members, including officers, two communication specialists, a platoon commander, two physicians, 10 sappers and 30 drivers. The Armenians will be based in Al-Kut, 62 miles from the capital of Baghdad, and will be attached to the Polish peacekeeping division. The U.S. administration is underwriting the contingent`s expenses. In Dec. the National Assembly approved President Robert Kocharian`s suggestion to extend the term of Armenian peacekeepers` presence in Iraq for one year, which will now extend to 2007. In return the Bush administration has announced its intention to release $235.5 million in additional economic assistance to Armenia after validating that it had received 'credible reassurances' that Kocharian`s government is committed to democracy and good governance. The additional funding was approved in December by the Millennium Challenge Corp., a U.S. government agency managing the administration`s Millennium Challenge Account. The Millennium Challenge Account program is intended to promote political and economic reforms in developing nations, but the grant was conditional on 'corrective steps' that would address issues of chronic vote rigging and civil rights violations in Armenia. |
| Posted by: Anonymoose |