GOVERNMENT PROPOSES PROLONGING ARMENIAN PEACEMAKING ACTIVITY IN IRAQ BY ANOTHER YEAR

Lragir
Dec 3 2007
Armenia

The Armenian government proposes prolonging the Armenian peacemaking
activity in Iraq by a year. The minister of defense Mikael Harutiunyan
introduced the president’s proposal to prolong the Armenian peacemaking
activity in Iraq to the parliament today and said the necessity of
the third extension is determined by the importance of the peacemaking
activity of Armenia in Iraq.

Harutiunyan said since 2005 276 Armenian servicemen were sent
to Iraq in six shifts. According to him, no Armenian soldier got
killed in three years. On November 11 Lieutenant Gevorg Nalbandyan
was wounded and got treatment first in Germany then in the United
States. "After rehabilitation and prosthesis Nalbandyan is getting
better and continues service in the Armenian armed force," Mikael
Harutiunyan said.

"Since not participating in the peacemaking activity may create
hindrances for Armenia in terms of promotion of partnership, as the
official representative of the president I consider it expedient to
prolong the Armenian peacemaking activity in the Polish division,"
the minister said.

The first shift of Armenian peacekeepers left for Iraq on January 25,
2005. Currently the sixth shift is in Iraq, which includes 46 people,
including 2 staff officers, a mine clearance team of 10 and 31 drivers.