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Czech gov't approves sending troops to Golan Heights, Mali

Xinhua, April 22, 2015 Adjust font size:

The Czech government on Wednesday approved the military sending up to 30 soldiers within the Golan Heights and Malian missions held under the auspices of the United Nations(UN), Czech Defense Minister Martin Stropnicky told a press conference after a cabinet meeting.

Stropnicky said the deployment of troops in the two missions will cost the ministry 182 million crowns (7.12 million U.S. dollars) by the end of 2016. The ministry will ask the UN to cover part of the cost.

Czech troops have been operating under the auspices of an EU mission, training Malian soldiers and guarding the mission headquarters in the capital Bamako in the south of the state.

The new mandate will allow the deployment of up to 25 military specialists in Mali. Czech soldiers will cooperate with Dutch soldiers in the U.N.'s MINUSMA mission and will operate in the north of Mali where a fight against Islamic radicals is underway.

Up to five additional Czech military officers may be sent to the Golan Heights within the U.N.'s UNDOF mission. Three soldiers would depart for Israel and join the mission command. If a stronger Czech participation was asked by U.N., another two soldiers could be sent for the mission, said Czech Defense Ministry spokesman Peter Medek.

The plan is to be submitted to parliament for approval. Enditem