RI MILY OFFICER TO ASSUME UNIFIL DIRECTORSHIP

Jakarta, Aug 25 (ANTARA) - Brig Gen Zahari Siregar is certain to assume the post of strategic military cell director of the New York-based United Nations Interim Force in Lebanon (UNIFIL) following a UN request, a Foreign Ministry spokesman said.

The UN had asked Indonesia to appoint one of its high ranking officers for the post, the ministry's deputy director of international security and disarmament, Fikry Cassady, said here on Tuesday.

Siregar used to be the chief of the Indonesian military's peace-keeping mission center.

If appointed to the post, he would among others be responsible for drawing up UNIFIL's strategic policies to make its peace and security stability mission in South Lebanon a success, Fikry said.

Indonesia now ranks third after France and Italy in terms of troops joining the UN peace-keeping mission in South Lebanon.

Indonesia is planning to increase the number of troops working for the UN peace-keeping mission to 2,000 later this year.

But Frikry said the government would reconsider the plan because of the current global economic crisis.

A total of 1,526 Indonesian troops are taking part in the UN peace-keeping missions in Europe, the Middle East, Asia and Africa.

Fikry said Indonesia for the first time joined the UN peace-keeping mission in 1957. "Since 1957 Indonesia has participated in 25 UN peace-keeping missions. Today Indonesia is taking part in seven UN missions," he said.

He said Indonesia's participation in the UN peace-keeping missions was of strategic significance to forge multilateral cooperation in resolving conflicts.

The participation was constantly based on the country's free and active foreign policy in accordance with the mandate of the 1945 constitution, he said.

In addition, the participation was also aimed at improving the Indonesian military's and police's capability and professionalism, he said.