Italy, as commander of the United Nations Interim Force in Lebanon (UNIFIL), has officially applied to Armenia with a proposal to include an Armenian detachment in the peacekeeping mission. It suggests the Armenian troops to ensure the security of the mission headquarters.
Negotiations on sending Armenian peacekeepers to Lebanon are currently underway. Discussions with the UN and the Italian Defense Ministry focus on the composition of detachment, the place of deployment, logistical and technical support and other issues.
A specialized working group of the Ministry of Defense will leave for Rome next week to continue the negotiations. This will be followed by the visit of the Chief of General Staff of the Armed Forces. Two Armenian peacekeeping platoons are likely to be deployed in Lebanon by the end of the current year.
One Officer of RA Armed Forces has been involved in the UN observation mission in Lebanon since 2012.
Armenia has received another proposal to join the UN peacekeeping mission in Mali. The negotiations focus on sending Armenian military observers.
