Kazakhstan is set to board independent United Nations (UN) peacekeeping mission at the Golan Heights, commencing in March, as announced by the government.
Both chambers of the parliament passed President Kassym-Jomart Tokayev's proposal to deploy 139 Kazakh peacekeepers to the occupied Golan Heights in Syria.
Defense Minister Ruslan Zhaksylykov elucidated that the Kazakh peacekeepers will function as a reserve company within the United Nations Disengagement Observer Force stationed at the Golan Heights.
He stated that this mission represents a unique opportunity for the armed forces of Kazakhstan to cultivate vital combat skills intrinsic to peacekeeping operations.
Notably, this marks the first instance where the UN has assigned an independent peacekeeping mission.
President Tokayev had previously suggested deploying up to 430 Kazakh peacekeepers to regions in the Middle East and Africa in January.
In addition to the Golan Heights mission, Kazakh peacekeepers are anticipated to participate in the UN Truce Supervision Organisation, the Mission in South Sudan, and the Interim Security Force for Abyei.
The Golan Heights was occupied by Israel during the Six-Day War in 1967. In 1981, Israel formally annexed the territory, a move that has not been internationally recognized.
The United Nations Security Council has repeatedly called for Israel to withdraw from the Golan Heights, considering it to be part of Syrian territory.