Georgia sends first peacekeepers to Afghanistan

Moscow, Nov 17 (New Kerala): Former Soviet Republic of Georgia will dispatch 173 peacekeepers to Afghanistan as part of the International Security Assistance Force (ISAF).

The personnel are Georgia's first peacekeeping contribution to the ISAF.

''Tonight, a company of the 23rd Battalion, 2nd Brigade will fly to Afghanistan. In all, 173 people will go to Afghanistan, including one representative of the Georgian clergy,'' RIA Novosti news agency quoted a Georgian Defense Ministry spokesman yesterday.

The company would be placed under French command, the spokesman said.

The Georgian parliament in August approved President Mikheil Saakashvili's initiative to send an infantry company and an infantry battalion to Afghanistan.

The Defense Ministry said the battalion, comprised of 500 peacekeepers, would go to Afghanistan in the spring of 2010 and serve together with the Americans.