Ukrainian peacekeepers to celebrate New Year fulfilling tasks in 9 world's countries

553 Ukrainian soldiers will celebrate the New Year 2008 fulfilling an honorable and responsible mission to secure peace and stability in 9 world's countries. Government’s press service reports.

301 soldiers of the 56th separate helicopter detachment of the Ukrainian Armed Forces will see the New Year at the African continent in Liberia within the framework of the UN Mission in the country. The detachment's command had prepared all necessary things for the event in advance - decorated New Year's "trees" (local trees in holiday dressing), appropriate assortment and variety of dishes for a celebratory dinner and even the Father Frost and Snow Maiden regardless of warm enough Liberian winter (up to 38 above zero degrees Celsius). By tradition, our peacekeepers in Liberia to see the old year out twice - at local and Kyiv's time.

184 Ukrainian peacekeepers of the national component of the joint Ukraine-Poland Peace Force Battalion UkrPolBat of the KFOR Multinational Task Force East will see the New Year in Kosovo at the Kyiv's time. Out-of-duty peacekeepers will mark the holiday in clubs of the U.S. Bondsteel military base and Breza base camp.

Another 68 Ukrainian soldiers will be celebrating the event in Ethiopia and Eritrea, Congo, Sudan, Afghanistan, Iraq, Moldova and Georgia, where they perform peacekeeping missions as staff officers and observers of the UN Missions, Allied Forces and International Security Assistance Forces (ISAF).