KYIV. Nov 22 (Interfax-AVN) - Ukrainian Defense Minister Anatoliy Hrytsenko issued an order on rotation of the national peacekeeping contingents of Ukraine in Kosovo and Liberia in 2007, an official of the Ukrainian Defense Ministry press service told Interfax-AVN on Wednesday.
"The 56th detached helicopter task force in service with the UN mission in Liberia will hold rotations in two shifts: the first during the period from April 30 until May 30 and the second from November 15 until December 15. The rotation of the Ukrainian component of the Ukraine-Poland battalion in Task Force East, the KFOR will also take place in two shifts: first from April 1 to 15, and second from October 1 to 15," he said.
The press service also informs that the order defines the procedures of the rotation and the conditions on which servicemen will be admitted for service with the national peacekeeping contingents. For instance, non-commissioned officers will be enlisted only from professional servicemen, with preference to be given to those in service of the Joint Rapid Response Force, air-mobile force and special forces.
"The contingent for Ukrpolbat will be manned with the servicemen of the 95th detached air-mobile brigade and the 30th detached mechanized brigade, which is an element of the Joint Rapid Response Force," the Defense Ministry spokesman said.
He emphasized that Hrytsenko barred appointing servicemen who had had a record of peacekeeping operations (except pilots, aircraft technicians and interpreters) to the new peacekeeping missions.
The order also determines the procedures for inspections of national peacekeeping contingents.