Estonian Parliament on 8 May approved to deploy as many as 55 soldiers for peacekeeping operations in the Persian Gulf region

Estonian Parliament on 8 May approved by a vote of 69 to 1, with three abstentions, to deploy as many as 55 soldiers for peacekeeping operations in the Persian Gulf region. The troops will serve in three separate missions. A 32-strong light-infantry unit will guard facilities, probably to the north of Baghdad. An 11-member cargo-handling team will unload equipment in Kuwait and possibly also provide security during its transportation to Iraq. There will also be a three-man team of divers stationed in Bahrain to search for mines in the gulf. The deployments will be based on rotating six-month terms of service, but the resolution allows for troops to be in the region for one year. A six-month mission will cost about 20 million kroons ($1.4 million), some of which is expected to be compensated by the United States.