Kazakh president proposes sending 430 peacekeepers to Central African Republic, Congo, Mali, Lebanon

NUR-SULTAN. June 30 (Interfax) - Kazakh President Kassym-Jomart Tokayev has proposed dispatching a peacekeeping contingent of the Kazakh Armed Forces to the Central African Republic, Congo, Mali, and Lebanon, the country's Defense Minister Ruslan Zhaksylykov said.

Zhaksylykov read out Tokayev's relevant initiative at a joint session of the parliament's chambers on Thursday.

"I put forth a proposal to dispatch an Armed Forces peacekeeping contingent of around 430 servicemen in total to take part in the multipurpose comprehensive mission to stabilize the situation in the Central African Republic; second, in the UN stabilization mission in the Democratic Republic of Congo; third, in the multipurpose comprehensive mission to stabilize the situation in Mali, and, fourth, in the Interim Force mission in Lebanon," according to the document.

Kazakhstan stands ready to send both staff officers and military observers individually and specialized units, such as infantry, medical, reconnaissance, and engineering units of the military police, which are most relevant to UN missions, it said.

Tokayev's proposal was supported unanimously by all 45 Kazakh senators present at the session. Out of the 103 Majilis members who attended the session, 101 voted in favor of the president's initiative.