Latvia to deploy soldiers to Iraq, Mali in February

Latvian soldiers might be deployed to Iraq and Mali to participate in multinational operations in February 2016, a representative of the defense ministry told members of the parliament's defense, interior and anti-corruption committee on Wednesday.

Defense ministry policy director Janis Karlsbergs and other ministry officials presented draft legislation to lawmakers that would authorize Latvian forces' participation in the operations in Iraq and Mali.

The parliament is expected to vote on the bills in January.

In the bill on Latvia's participation in the peacekeeping mission in Iraq, up to ten Latvian soldiers would join the Danish contingent and train Iraqi servicemen to fight militants of Islamic State (Daesh) group.

Although they would be armed, the Latvian soldiers would not engage in combat in Iraq.

The planned involvement in the operation in Mali is Latvia's direct response to France's request for military assistance under Article 42 of the Lisbon Treaty obliging European Union member states to provide assistance to the bloc's member facing military aggression. This would also be the first UN peacekeeping mission involving Latvia.

The draft legislation drawn up by the defense ministry provides for sending up to five Latvian soldiers to the mission in Mali to ensure the "full range of reconnaissance capability."

France invoked Article 42 of the Lisbon Treaty following the series of deadly terror acts in Paris in November requesting other EU member states' assistance in fighting Islamic State militants. Endit