Athens News Agency: News in English, 05-12-16

Athens News Agency: News in English Directory - Previous Article - Next Article

From: The Athens News Agency at <http://www.ana.gr/>

CONTENTS

[01] Deputy DM visits Greek peace-keeping contingent in Afghanistan

[01] Deputy DM visits Greek peace-keeping contingent in Afghanistan

Michaloliakos praised the work of the Greek contingent in Afghanistan, both at operational level and at the level of health services provided by the Greek mobile army surgical hospital (KIHNE).

The ELDAF and the KIHNE have both been highly praised by NATO.

Michaloliakos said that Greece, with its participation in international missions of a humanitarian nature "which have been endorsed by the UN Security Council by virtue of a relevant Resolution", is "among the protagonists in the international community's effort for the consolidation of peace and stability on the planet".

The minister brought gifts of the traditional Greek Chrismas sweets melomakarona and kourambiethes, wines, and digital cameras as gifts for the troops, as well as photo printers per unit.

Due to lack of time on both sides, the defence deputy minister was unable to meet with the commander of the NATO Allied Forces Europe, who was also in Afghanistan on a visit.

During a stopover in Yrevan on his return from Afghanistan, Michaloliakos met with his Armenian counterpart, deputy defence minister Artur Agabekian, with whom he discussed the course of bilateral cooperation between the two countries.

Michaloliakos arrived in Kabul together with 85 Greek soldiers who replaced colleages in the ELDAF whose tour of duty had been completed, and returned to Athens with the returning troops.

The Greek contingent in Afghanistan (ELDAF) comprises one company of 128 men from the army engineers corps to support roadbuilding networks and provide humanitarian and public benefit services and, since August this year, an additional 45 troops were deployed to staff the mobile surgery hospital, which provides health services to members of the ISAF and to Afghan citizens.

Also, as of December 1 this year, the Hellenic Air Force deployed a 38-member mission to assume the rotating administration of Kabul Airport for the period to April 2006.

Athens News Agency: News in English Directory - Previous Article - Next Article