ARMENIA NOT TO WITHDRAW PEACEKEEPERS FROM KOSOVO

Mediamax
March 5 2008
Armenia

Yerevan, 5 March: Armenia’s decision to increase the number of
its peacekeepers in Kosovo remains unchanged, thehead of the media
relations division of the Armenian Foreign Ministry’s public relations
department, TigranBalayan, said in an interview with Mediamax today.

He noted that the recent developments around Kosovo did not influence
the decision of the Armenian side to increaseits peacekeeping
contingent, which serves as part of KFOR.

"We remain adherent to the decision made earlier, which is currently
undergoing the necessary internal stateprocedures," Tigran Balayan
stated.

The Armenian foreign minister and defence minister stated in 2007
that they intend to double the Armenianpeacekeeping contingent in
Kosovo. The Armenian military have been serving as part of KFOR since
February 2004.

Mediamax notes that the Azerbaijani parliament on 4 March approved
the request of President Ilham Aliyev to withdraw the Azerbaijani
peacekeepers from Kosovo. The Azerbaijani president noted in his
request that the "new situation inKosovo" was the reason for this
decision.