Czech Senate agrees to deploy more troops to Afghanistan

Oct 27, 2010, 12:36 GMT

Prague - The Czech parliament's upper house, the Senate, voted Wednesday to raise troop numbers in Afghanistan and gradually reduce them in Kosovo.

The Senate agreed to deploy up to 720 soldiers in the NATO-led International Security Assistance Force in 2011 and up to 640 soldiers in 2012, up from this year's limit of 535 troops.

The army was also allowed to dispatch up to 550 troops in the NATO-led Kosovo Force (KFOR) in 2011 - the same limit as this year. But the KFOR mission would be significantly reduced in the second half of 2012 - to a maximum of 15 soldiers.

Prime Minister Petr Necas' centre-right government cabinet rushed the proposal to the chamber after the weekend's Senate election produced a majority for the opposition Social Democrats, who have opposed troop increases in Afghanistan.

As the Social Democratic majority could block the missions, the cabinet needed to pass them in the Senate before late November, when the new senators are set to join the chamber for the first time.

The upper house passed the motion 57-5, while 14 senators abstained and four were not present during the vote.

The proposal also requires approval of parliament's 200-seat lower house, where Necas' three-party cabinet has a comfortable majority of 118 votes. The house is expected to vote on it next week.

Currently, 514 Czech troops serve in Afghanistan and 92 in Kosovo, the Defence Ministry said on its website.

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