Kazakhstan will send 430 military officers to participate in UN peacekeeping missions in the Central African Republic, the Democratic Republic of Congo, Mali, and Lebanon, Vlast.kz reports. President Kassym-Jomart Tokayev suggested the idea which was reviewed at a joint meeting of the Senate and Majilis on Thursday, June 30. The deputies supported the decision.

New experiences, new risks

Defense Minister Ruslan Zhaksylykov highlighted the advantages of Kazakhstan’s participation in peacekeeping measures in the context of current global events. New risks and challenges to regional and national security may require a swift military response, Zhaksylykov explained. The parliament decided that sending troops to gain relevant experience is a wise choice.

According to the minister, Kazakhstan is ready to provide both individual military personnel as staff officers and military observers, as well as specialized units that are most in-demand in UN missions - infantry, medical, intelligence, engineering units and military police units. He stressed that this practice will be used to improve the combat training of Kazakhstan’s armed forces and gain insight for its further development.

Since 2014, 45 Kazakhstani officers have taken part in UN missions in Western Sahara, Ivory Coast and Lebanon as military observers and staff officers. 520 Kazakhstani troops have been a part of the peacekeeping unit of the UN Interim Force in Lebanon since 2018. To date, six Kazakhstani soldiers officers carried out their service in Western Sahara and nine in Lebanon.