UNIPATH STAFF
With the goal of becoming a peacekeeping power, Tajikistan participated for the first time in the Khaan Quest exercises in Mongolia in August 2013. The annual United Nations-sponsored peacekeeping exercise drew about 1,000 participants and observers from 13 nations.
The country’s peacekeeping battalion, formed in 2010, sought out expertise that comes from attending Khaan Quest. Mongolia prides itself on being a top provider of peacekeeping troops to organizations such as the U.N.
“Our battalion has only just been formed, and Tajikistan does not have the necessary experience,” Lt. Col. Tokhir Khairulloyev told Central Asia Online. “But we are improving, and every year we become stronger by participating in such exercises.”