Armed Forces to send 25 personnel to Iraq still this year
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- Date: 01.10.2017
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The SVK Armed Forces are aiming to deploy 25 soldiers to Iraq in 2017. Their task will be to provide training, advice and assistance in building the capacities of the Iraqi Security Forces under the NATO Training and Capacity Building in Iraq (NTCB-I). This follows from the document which the SVK MOD has made available for comments in fast-track interdepartmental consultations. The proposal will be up for debate in the Security Council of the Slovak Republic and Government. Subsequently, the deployment will have to be endorsed by Parliament.
In his comments on the Slovak contribution to NTCB-I, Minister of Defence Peter Gajdoš clarified: “Our soldiers will play a role in providing training to Iraqi Armed Forces instructors in areas such as demining and repairs of Soviet-era military equipment.” He went on to add that the mandate is in line with the Government's decision of May 2017. “The Slovak soldiers will partake neither in combat operations nor in their planning. They will be on a non-combat training mission,” he emphasised.
Slovakia is also planning to dispatch specialist mine clearance equipment to Iraq. This deployment of troops, which is planned for a year-long period, will be effected on 30 October 2017 at the earliest and may not be continuous but interrupted. It will take into account the training phases of NTCB-I and the skill levels of Iraqi Armed Forces instructors. Logistic support will require other partner countries to cooperate.
The activity of the SVK Armed Forces in Iraq will be implemented under NATO's Defence Capacity Building (DCB) package for Iraq with the approval of the Republic of Iraq and in accordance with international agreements and international contractual documents.
In his comments on the Slovak contribution to NTCB-I, Minister of Defence Peter Gajdoš clarified: “Our soldiers will play a role in providing training to Iraqi Armed Forces instructors in areas such as demining and repairs of Soviet-era military equipment.” He went on to add that the mandate is in line with the Government's decision of May 2017. “The Slovak soldiers will partake neither in combat operations nor in their planning. They will be on a non-combat training mission,” he emphasised.
Slovakia is also planning to dispatch specialist mine clearance equipment to Iraq. This deployment of troops, which is planned for a year-long period, will be effected on 30 October 2017 at the earliest and may not be continuous but interrupted. It will take into account the training phases of NTCB-I and the skill levels of Iraqi Armed Forces instructors. Logistic support will require other partner countries to cooperate.
The activity of the SVK Armed Forces in Iraq will be implemented under NATO's Defence Capacity Building (DCB) package for Iraq with the approval of the Republic of Iraq and in accordance with international agreements and international contractual documents.
