ASTANA – Kazakhstan has deployed its third national peacekeeping contingent to the United Nations Disengagement Observer Force (UNDOF) mission on the Golan Heights, underscoring the country’s expanding contribution to international peacekeeping efforts. A farewell ceremony for the contingent was held at Military Unit 61993 of the Airborne Assault Troops.
The event was attended by senior officials from the Ministry of Defense, representatives of the Center for Peacekeeping Operations, fellow service members, veterans of the Armed Forces, and relatives of the peacekeepers, reported the Defense Ministry on May 19.
The 139-member contingent, led by Lieutenant Colonel Ilyas Almatov, later departed for Almaty International Airport to begin their journey to the mission area. Speaking at the ceremony, Deputy Minister of Defense for Educational and Ideological Work Major General Askar Mustabekov said Kazakhstan’s participation in UN peacekeeping operations strengthens the country’s international standing.
“Peacekeeping is one of the priority areas of Kazakhstan’s foreign policy, contributing to the maintenance of peace and security. Our country’s standing in the international community depends on your professional training, perseverance, and dedication to your military duty,” he said.
Kazakhstan currently has more than 150 peacekeepers serving in seven United Nations missions in the Middle East and Africa as military observers, staff officers, and members of a separate national contingent on the Golan Heights. Kazakh military personnel participate in UN missions in Lebanon, Syria, Western Sahara, South Sudan, the Democratic Republic of the Congo, and the Central African Republic.
Their duties include monitoring ceasefires, patrolling, guarding checkpoints, disposing of explosive ordnance, and escorting and evacuating UN personnel. According to the Defense Ministry, the two previous Kazakh peacekeeping contingents deployed to the Golan Heights completed all assigned tasks and received high praise from UN mission leadership.