Georgian soldiers start to control air base in Afghanistan

/AzerNews/

By Mushvig Mehdiyev

Georgian soldiers within International Security Assistance Force have turned to control the area of the largest air base of the U.S. armed forces in Bagram, Afghanistan on November 10.

The official ceremony on the handling of the command from the U.S. to Georgia was held earlier this month. Bagram air base, which was built in 1976, is located in 47 kilometers north of Kabul.

Georgia is the largest non-NATO country attending the operations of the military coalition. The South Caucasus country plans to send about 750 soldiers to take part in the coalition's next operations in Afghanistan.

"Joining the ISAF missions is very important for Georgia from the political point of view. Our soldiers resist the enemy forces together with their friends from different countries," Head of the Georgian forces within the ISAF mission Roman Jokadze said.

The coalition forces should withdraw from Afghanistan in near future. Foreign soldiers will stay in the country to train the local police and army based on the signed agreements. Totally 12,000 soldiers are planned to stay in Afghanistan's territory

Georgian Armed Forces' participation in the ISAF operations in Afghanistan dates back to 2004, when the first military unit of Georgian army went to conduct peacekeeping operations as part of ISAF forces in the Asian country.