TALLINN 's "Estonian soldiers' mission in Iraq would in all likelihood have to continue also in 2007, " said Estonian Foreign Minister Urmas Paet in an interview to the daily Postimees.
"Bearing in mind the present situation the defense forces should be ready to continue their mission. It is my opinion that with great probability presence of the Estonian mission will be necessary also next year," he added.
The minister said he was convinced that although the parliament should extend the mission four months before the parliamentary elections next spring important foreign and security policy issues would not become part of the election campaign.
Paet also outlined that continuation of the Estonian defense forces' mission would depend on developments in Iraq, where the new government would hopefully be installed as soon as possible and the interim period of turbulence would be over. "This means that the new government will start to restore and then increase security that has meanwhile deteriorated," he said.
Previously, Estonian parliament decided to extend the defense forces' mission in Iraq until the end of this year. Estonian soldiers have been in Iraq since June 2003.
