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U.S. welcomes S.Korea's plans to send troops to Afghanistan

RIA Novosti

31/10/200903:45

MOSCOW, October 31 (RIA Novosti) - Washington supports and welcomes South Korea's plans to deploy troops to Afghanistan to protect its nationals working in humanitarian organizations, the U.S. Department of State said.

"We welcome the ROK [Republic of Korea] announcement that it will expand its assistance to Afghanistan. We are confident that this assistance will be of great value to the people of Afghanistan," the Department of State said in a statement.

Seoul is expected to deploy over 200 soldiers and some 20 police officers early next year to expand its Provincial Reconstruction Team (PRT) in Afghanistan. The security forces will not participate in combat operations, except to protect PRT staff.

"This announcement reflects the ROK's growing commitment to addressing problems of global concern. We consider the ROK to be a vital partner in such efforts," the statement added.

At the moment, there are 25 South Korean medical staff and vocational training experts working inside the U.S. Air Force Base in Bagram, north of Kabul.

Violence has surged in Afghanistan of late, with the radical Islamic Taliban group, toppled in the 2001 U.S.-led campaign, staging regular attacks on provincial government officials, police and troops. There were over 70 attacks across the country during the August 20 presidential polls.