BERLIN – The German parliament has approved sending more troops to Afghanistan, according to reports.
The German foreign minister Guido Westerwelle defended Berlin’s decision to be a relief to Nato forces.
Mr Westerwelle said that they can focus on military operation in the war-hit North African nation, according to reports.
“We will not send German soldiers to Libya, but that does not mean that we will put our allies in danger. We do not want to seem neutral. We helped them by sending our troops to Afghanistan,” said Westerwelle in an address to the national parliament.
Some 407 lawmakers voted in favour of the move, with 113 against it and 32 others mostly from the Green Party abstained.
The report comes as the foreign forces’ withdrawal will start in July this year.
President Hamid Karzai recently said that Afghan forces will take over security responsibilities of 7 areas in July this year.
Germany is one of the biggest troop contributing countries to the Nato-led mission in Afghanistan, and has nearly 5,000 troops in the country.
Germany has lost 49 soldiers in the Afghan war since it started its mission in the country.
