23 December 2013 | 16:21

Kazakhstan not sending peacekeepers to Syria

Photo a courtesy of Tengrinews.kz

Kazakhstan will not send any peacekeepers to Syria, Tengrinews reports citing Kazakhstan ex-Permanent Representative in the UN Senator Byrganym Aitimova. “No, we are not considering Syria. For one thing, not all the conflicts have UN peacekeeping forces, and Syria is one of those countries, there are no peacekeepers there yet,” Aitimova told the journalists after the Senate meeting. At present, the UN is conducting 15 peacekeeping operations in the world. “It has approximately 100 thousand peacekeepers who are protecting peace and ensuring security, in particular protecting vulnerable civilians in areas of conflict. Many African, and Mediterranean countries are under UN protection. I’m not sure if the UN has peacekeeping forces in the Ivory Coast (the Republic of Côte d'Ivoire) or, for example in Haiti,” Aitimova said. Previously, a statement was made that Kazakhstan would not participate in peacekeeping operations that would cause mixed reaction of the general public. The Ministry of Defense has stressed that the Presidential Decree No.161 signed on October 11, 2011 validated the military doctrine that sets fulfillment of international obligations in maintaining peace and security, including participation in peacekeeping operations, as one of the key goals of Kazakhstan's defense policies. By Renat Tashkinbayev

Kazakhstan will not send any peacekeepers to Syria, Tengrinews reports citing Kazakhstan ex-Permanent Representative in the UN Senator Byrganym Aitimova. “No, we are not considering Syria. For one thing, not all the conflicts have UN peacekeeping forces, and Syria is one of those countries, there are no peacekeepers there yet,” Aitimova told the journalists after the Senate meeting. At present, the UN is conducting 15 peacekeeping operations in the world. “It has approximately 100 thousand peacekeepers who are protecting peace and ensuring security, in particular protecting vulnerable civilians in areas of conflict. Many African, and Mediterranean countries are under UN protection. I’m not sure if the UN has peacekeeping forces in the Ivory Coast (the Republic of Côte d'Ivoire) or, for example in Haiti,” Aitimova said. Previously, a statement was made that Kazakhstan would not participate in peacekeeping operations that would cause mixed reaction of the general public. The Ministry of Defense has stressed that the Presidential Decree No.161 signed on October 11, 2011 validated the military doctrine that sets fulfillment of international obligations in maintaining peace and security, including participation in peacekeeping operations, as one of the key goals of Kazakhstan's defense policies. By Renat Tashkinbayev

war Defense help Kazakh Kazakhstan Military Ministry of Defense Nazarbayev news peace Peace Corps peacekeeper peacekeeping forces peacemaker Syria UN United Nations Conflict