ARMENIA CONSIDERS IRAQI FORCE REFORM
United Press International
March 14 2006
EREVAN, Armenia, March 14 (UPI) — The Armenian Minister of Defense
is contemplating reorganizing its peacekeeping contingent in Iraq,
according to a news report.
Armenia currently has 46 peacekeeping troops in Iraq and a platoon of
peacekeepers in Kosovo in the U.N. mission there. The troops in Iraq,
deployed in January, are the third rotational contingent the country
has sent and are under Polish command.
The U.S. government is underwriting all the costs of the Armenian
contingent in Iraq.
On Mnday, Regnum news agency reported that Deputy Minister of Defense
Artur Agabekyan said that the change was being considered because of
reforms in the county’s military defense system to align the nation’s
military more closely to NATO standards.
Additionnal details, however, were not immediately available.
Armenia is working with NATO to develop its Individual Partnership
Action Plan as it is extremely interested in joining NATO. In 2003
Armenia hosted its first NATO Partnership for Peace military exercise
and host another one later this year.