Czechs mull deploying extra 100 troops to Afghanistan - Summary

Prague - The Czech Republic's Defense Ministry on Wednesday said it is considering deployment of another 100 troops in Afghanistan, following announcement of US President Barack Obama's plan to boost US forces in the war-torn country. Defense Ministry spokesman Andrej Cirtek confirmed the ministry plans to launch political talks on expanding the Czech force, as actual troop deployments must be approved by parliament.

Earlier this year, parliament agreed on the deployment of up to 535 troops to Afghanistan in 2010.

Czech Foreign Minister Jan Kohout spoke of no specific plans for boosting the Czech force in Afghanistan after meeting his German counterpart, Guido Westerwelle, during the latter's visit to Prague Wednesday.

Kohout said that the Czech Republic would seek ways to help build the Afghan army and police, so the country could "stand on its own feet."

Obama on Tuesday announced that he would deploy an additional 30,000 troops to Afghanistan.

In response to the decision, NATO Secretary General Anders Fogh Rasmussen said that the remaining alliance members would boost their forces in Afghanistan by another 5,000 soldiers next year.

Currently, 332 Czech soldiers serve under the NATO-led International Security Assistance Force mission in Afghanistan, according to the Defense Ministry's website.

The Czech Republic, a formerly Communist Central European country of 10.4 million, joined NATO in 1999.