ASTANA. Sept 14 (Interfax) - Kazakhstan plans to broaden its involvement in United Nations-led peacekeeping operations, including by deploying a joint contingent with India in Lebanon and certifying a Kazakh peacekeepers training center, the Kazcenter, Kazakhstan's Permanent Representative to the UN Kairat Umarov said at a UN Security Council meeting on UN peacekeeping reform.
Umarov also reiterated the need to undertake qualitative changes and apply innovative approaches and new criteria to assess the UN peacekeeping system. He also described the strengthening of coordination and ensuring accountability of all UN structures as a major condition to make peacekeeping operations more effective, the Kazakh Foreign Ministry said in a report on Friday.
"We are convinced that new countries' active involvement and participation in the UN peacekeeping process, including through jointly deploying contingents, will give a fresh boost to UN peacekeeping operations and make such operations more effective," the ministry quoted Umarov as saying.
This process will help raise the authority and effectiveness of UN missions and will also contribute to cooperation and collective responsibility of countries, regional organizations and the international community as a whole, he said.
It was reported that Kazakhstan will send 120 peacekeepers along with India to Lebanon as part of the UN Interim Force.