NUR SULTAN, Kazakhstan

Kazakhstan will send 430 soldiers to UN peacekeeping missions, the Defense Ministry said on Thursday.

During a joint session of the Kazakh parliament, deputies approved a presidential decree on the deployment.

The soldiers will be sent to the Central African Republic, the Democratic Republic of Congo, Mali, and Lebanon.

Speaking in the parliament, Defense Minister Ruslan Jaqsylyqov said it is important to strengthen the combat skills of soldiers and gain practical experience in the face of new risks to national security in the region and around the world.

“In this regard, I believe that it is appropriate to increase the participation of the Armed Forces of Kazakhstan in peacekeeping missions in the Central African Republic, Congo, Mali, and Lebanon in accordance with Article 7 of the UN Charter,” he said.

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* Writing by Merve Berker