Kazakhstan’s Ministry of Defence plans developing a new program for training of peacekeepers to expand its peacekeeping work, Tengrinews reports citing the ministry.
Kazakhstan’s Ministry of Defence plans developing a new program for training of peacekeepers to expand its peacekeeping work, Tengrinews reports citing the ministry.
The Ministry plans to hire military officers who participated in the UN missions to train Kazakh peace-keepers. The training center for peacekeeping operations was established at the 61933 military base to prepare military personnel for Kazakhstani peacekeeping battalion.
“The existing educational center Partnership for Peace at the Military Institute of Land Forces provides theoretical preparation of our peacekeepers, while the new center will take on the practical part of the preparation. Well-experienced instructors will be able to train entire units,” the Ministry of Defence said.
At this stage, the program is considering recruitment of military personnel from Kazakhstani army that took part in real peacekeeping operations with UN and trained under the guidance of US and British instructors.
“Peacekeeping is important for our country to be able to perform its international obligations, as well as to get promotion from military and political standpoint, generate interest and improve the general standing of the country on the international arena,” the Kazakh Ministry of Defence said.
Kazakhstani Army previously established a peacekeeping battalion. Annually, the peacekeeping battalion along with military personnel from other countries takes part in Steppe Eagle and Inviolable Brotherhood drills.
In 2013, NATO rated Kazakhstan's peacekeeping battalion as tactically compatible with NATO military forces. As of today, the preparation and training of the country's peacekeeping forces meets the international standards.
By Gyuzel Kamalova, editing by Tatyana Kuzmina