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Finland to sent more peacekeepers to Lebanon: media report

Xinhua, March 24, 2016 Adjust font size:

Finland is considering sending more peacekeepers to Lebanon in response to a French request for assistance, reported Finnish daily Helsingin Sanomat on Wednesday.

According to information obtained by the daily, Finland is preparing to send about 150 additional peacekeepers to strengthen the peacekeeping operations in Lebanon this spring.

The Finnish parliament is to discuss the issue during the spring session.

Mikko Kinnunen, director of the Unit for Security Policy and Crisis Management in the Ministry of Foreign Affairs, said Finland has discussed with France about the suitable way of the assistance, and Lebanon is the preferred option.

The Finnish peacekeeping force have good know-how in Lebanon and are familiar with the area, explained Antti Kaikkonen, chairman of the Committee on Foreign Affairs of the Parliament.

So far Finland has 310 soldiers in Lebanon, its largest overseas peacekeeping missions.

Meanwhile, Finland is also considering increasing the number of peacekeepers in Mali from 15 to several dozen to reinforce the UN and EU missions there. The Parliament will discuss it later, reported the daily.

In the wake of the fatal terrorist attacks in Paris last November, France asked EU countries for help in its missions in the Middle East and Africa.

As an answer to France's call, Finland sent 10 persons to strengthen an observation mission in Mali.

Last December, Finnish President Sauli Niinisto promised to consider sending more people to Mali, and expand the United Nations Interim Force mission in Lebanon, in order to help France. Endit