(Translated from article in Ukrainian dated 12/8/00)

A reception to honor the 9th anniversary of Ukrainian Armed Forces Day was held on December 7, 2000 at the Permanent Mission of Ukraine to the United Nations. It was attended by representatives of the military diplomatic corps of various missions as well as members of the Ukrainian community from the New York area.

The important role of Ukraine's Armed Forces in the development of independent Ukraine and its active participation in conducting international peace-keeping operations under the aegis of the UN was noted during the evening. Since 1992, more than 10,000 Ukrainian troops have taken part in UN peace-keeping operations in Bosnia-Herzegovina, Croatia, Angola, Tadzikistan, and Guatemala. Today, 660 Ukrainian soldiers are taking part in peace-keeping operations in Kosovo, Afghanistan, at the Ethiopian/Eritrean border, the Prevlaka Peninsula (Croatia), Southern Lebanon, and in the Democratic Republic of the Congo.

This month, the deployment of a Ukrainian peace-keeping contingent is planned in Sierra-Leone. A maintenance and training battalion and more than 440 APC's and utility trucks from the Ukrainian AF will be sent to this country.

Since the beginning of this year having been elected to the Security Council and in recognition of its added responsibilities as a member of this critical body in the UN system, Ukraine has increased its military and civilian personnel contribution 20-fold to the UN peace-keeping operations. In terms of total reported personnel in UN missions, Ukraine today occupies the first place among European countries.