Lithuania wants to send more troops to Iraq



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President Gitanas Nausėda presented a draft resolution of the Seimas proposing to change the mandate of participation of soldiers in military operations.

Currently, up to 11 soldiers and civilian national defense personnel can participate in a military training operation in Iraq. The president proposes to increase this number to 50.

“This mandate is being changed in response to a request from Denmark, which has assumed command of the mission, to increase the contingent of Lithuanian troops in the NATO military training operation in Iraq,” Advisor Darius Kuliešius told BNS. of the president.

“The joint participation of Lithuanian soldiers in NATO military missions and operations is a significant contribution to ensuring the security of NATO countries, as well as Lithuania and the entire region,” he added.

According to the president’s advisor, the project is presented taking into account the decisions of the State Defense Council and the recommendations of the Ministers of Foreign Affairs and National Defense. This draft resolution will be presented to the Seimas in the near future by the Minister of National Defense Raimundas Karoblis.

Advisor to the Minister of National Defense Vita Ramanauskaitė told BNS that the number of training, education and strategic advisory assignments in Iraq, which help the Iraqi government to build its own security forces, is increasing as the number decreases. of combat tasks implemented by the US-led coalition “Innate Determination” in Iraq.

According to her, Denmark, which has been assuming command of NATO’s military training operation in Iraq for two years since October, has previously requested the three Baltic states to increase their contribution.

“Lithuania, like other members of the Alliance, welcomed the opportunities to contribute more meaningfully to the operation,” said V. Ramanauskaitė.

The minister’s adviser stressed that Lithuanian soldiers would not participate in the fighting in Iraq.



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