Czech Republic to consider sending troops to Golan Heights

The Czech Republic is considering sending a military contingent to the Golan Heights this year, Defence Minister Martin Stropnický told reporters on Friday. There may be room for new troops in the mission there in October as the Philippine military is considering withdrawing its personnel. Czech President Miloš Zeman has long supported the idea of deploying Czech soldiers to the Golan Heights. The defence minister said he wanted to discuss the matter with the president and indicated he was not sure whether the Czech Republic would be able to prepare the contingent at such short notice. The deployment of troops would have to be approved by the government. According to the Czech News Agency, the military has a so far taken a reserved stance towards the plan, in part for financial reasons.

Author: Jan Velinger