REPUBLIKA.CO.ID, BOGOR -- Indonesian Foreign Minister Retno Marsudi has signaled she would increase the number of Indonesian military personnel involved in the UN peacekeeping missions. "Right now, Indonesia is ranked 11th among 123 countries contributing peacekeeping personnel. In the future, we plan to ascend to the 10th rank," she said at a training event at a Peace Keeping Mission Center in Bogor, West Java, on Monday.

She explained that the target will be achieved by increasing the number of peace keeping personnel. In 2014, Indonesia had 2,867 personnel serving in 10 peacekeeping missions in various parts of the world, and the minister disclosed that she plans to raise it to 4,000 by 2019.

Minister Retno called on all personnel serving in the UN peacekeeping missions to carry out their tasks well. "You will be monitored by the world while on duty in other countries. It is not easy to carry out a mission while being monitored by other countries in places that have a different environment and culture," she noted.

She reminded that since 1957, Indonesia has sent 35,000 peacekeeping personnel to operate under the UN as part of more than 40 missions.

With regard to the UN Interim Force in Lebanon (UNIFIL), the minister stated that Indonesia has become the country contributing to most personnel to the mission, having sent 1,296 out of a total of 10,490 personnel from 40 countries involved. "The UNIFIL mission is the biggest peace mission and the personnel's number has reached 11,345 if the number of civilian and police forces are added," she informed.

She underlined that while peace keeping was the main objective, no less important are the efforts to prevent conflicts. She pointed out that Indonesia has always made it clear at international level that peace keeping was an important measure but prevention was more important and must receive constant attention. "Values of tolerance and peace must always be promoted wherever you are assigned. A lot of conflicts have happened in the world and new conflicts must be prevented. Peace must be spread and a conducive situation must be created for development," she added.

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