Polish troops to take part in new Afghan mission?
PR dla Zagranicy
Peter Gentle
08.10.2014 15:44
The government is considering dispatching a small group of military personnel to take part in a new mission planned by NATO in Afghanistan, diplomatic sources have told Polish Radio.
Defence minister Tomasz Siemoniak (right) i with new NATO chief Jens Stoltenberg in Warsaw, Monday: photo - PAP/Paweł Supernak
Poland's defence minister responded that “no formal decision has yet been taken. What is being considered is Poland's participation in instructional type training, so there is no combat action involved,” Tomasz Siemoniak said.
Continued NATO presence in Afghanistan was one of the topics discussed during the start-of-the-week visit to Warsaw by the Alliance's new Secretary General, Jens Stoltenberg.
In total, 25,000 Polish military personnel have served in Afghanistan since Poland joined the NATO-led International Security Assistance Force (ISAF) in 2002.
Polish troops handed over control of the Ghazni region to Afghan security forces in May this year.