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The parliament on Wednesday night passed a resolution that increases the maximum size of the Estonian input to the European Union and United Nations missions in Mali to ten personnel.
Estonian parlt okays increase in Mali mission
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Passage of the resolution creates the possibility for Estonia to participate in the EU training mission in Mali (EUTM Mali) with up to eight members of the defense forces and in the UN peacekeeping mission in Mali with up to two members of the defense forces until Dec. 31, 2013.
The bill was carried in the 101-seat chamber with 67 votes, with no votes against and four abstentions.
Estonia intends to deploy staff officers and a training team with the EU training mission. The main tasks of the staff officers will be to plan training for Malian armed forces and their counseling. The group of instructors would provide military training to Malian units.
The mission in Mali is emerging as the most important military mission for the European Union, into which 22 countries are making contributions already. The purpose of the mission is to improve the Malian armed forces' military capacities and their efficiency in order to enable them, under the civilian command, to reestablish the country's territorial integrity and reduce the threat posed by terrorist groups, the covering letter accompanying the resolution said.
On April 25, 2013 the United Nations Security Council unanimously adopted Resolution 2100 establishing a peacekeeping force in the west African nation to be eventually made up of 11,200 military personnel and 1,440 police personnel as well as civilian experts.