Joint mission in Afghanistan reunites ex-YU republics

Bitter enemies during the XNUMXs, when Yugoslavia was torn apart in war, the countries of the former SFRY are now uniting in a mission to support the Afghan army, the AP agency reported.

Bosnia, Croatia, Macedonia, Montenegro and Slovenia are planning to form a joint team that will train the newly formed Afghan military police. The mission will be part of NATO's international efforts to help and equip the new army.

Officers at the NATO headquarters who are involved in organizing the project say that the door is open to Serbia as well, where many are suspicious of engagement within NATO because of the bombing in 1999.

"We welcome the initiative led by Croatia to cooperate with other countries from the Adriatic region in order to form an international force for engagement in ISAF," said NATO media representative Oana Lungescu.

NATO has prioritized training and equipping Afghan security forces, which are expected to take over parts of the country this summer. Afghan soldiers taking over all combat duties from international forces when they withdraw by 2014.

However, the deadline will be met only if the training receives more support from NATO and other countries, Lt. Gen. William Caldwell, NATO's training commander, told the AP agency, adding that the coalition wants to include 740 more instructors this summer.

The countries of the former Yugoslavia can significantly contribute to the end of this 10-year war, since they have a unique experience gained in the civil war, which in some of its features is very similar to the situation in Afghanistan.

"The new mission shows how the countries of the former Yugoslavia are beginning to cooperate on the export of security, which is a dramatic turn compared to just a decade earlier when it was necessary to engage a large number of international forces to separate the countries that are now cooperating in the conflict," said Danijel Sunter. editor of the magazine "Balkan intelligence monthly" from Belgrade.

Military representatives of the five nations will meet in Podgorica on February 24 to determine the details of the engagement.