ARMENIA PLANS TO MAINTAIN SMALL IRAQ PRESENCE

Agence France Presse — English
November 15, 2006 Wednesday 11:21 PM GMT

Armenia intends to extend the stay of its tiny contingent of 46
peacekeeping personnel serving under the US-led coalition in Iraq, the
country’s defense minister said Wednesday following a trip to Baghdad.

"We have appealed to the national assembly of Armenia with a request to
extend the term of our contingent in Iraq, and we hope that parliament
will give its assent," Serzh Sarkisian told journalists at Yerevan’s
airport.

"We can’t just be consumers of security, we need to take part in the
process," he said.

During his trip Sarkisian met Iraq’s defense minister Abdul Qadr and
the leadership of coalition forces and discussed the security of the
country’s 20,000 strong Armenian Diaspora as well as the coalition’s
long-term plans, a spokesman for Armenia’s defense ministry said.

Armenia’s forces in Iraq include 30 drivers, 10 sappers, three doctors
and three officers.