On Thursday, 15 October, the Parliament of Latvia (Saeima) decided to extend the mandate of troops from the National Armed Forces of Latvia in a NATO-led International Security Assistance Force (ISAF) in Afghanistan till 13 October 2010. 

Out of 100 members of the Saeima, 61 MPs supported participation of Latvian troops in a peace-keeping mission in Afghanistan; while 21 members of the Saeima voted against. Currently there are 170 Latvian soldiers in the NATO-led mission in Afghanistan. 

Participation in a mission in Afghanistan is one of Latvia’s defence priorities, and Latvia will fulfil its obligations towards its partners, emphasised Kārlis Šadurskis, parliamentary secretary of the Ministry of Defence and a member of the Defence, Internal Affairs and Corruption Prevention Committee of the Saeima. 

„The conflict in Afghanistan is not a mere regional conflict – it threatens global security since it is related to terrorism and drug-trafficking. This mission is a NATO priority, and we have to be a reliable partner in the North Atlantic Treaty Organisation,” said the member of the parliament. 

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