6 Jun 2003

Fiji likely to send up to 700 soldiers to Iraq next month

6:12 am on 6 June 2003

Up to 700 Fiji soldiers are likely to be deployed in Iraq.

Radio Fiji says the foreign minister, Kaliopate Tavola, confirmed this after the return of a delegation which has had talks about the deployment in Poland and the United States.

Mr Tavola says it's yet to be decided whether the Fiji troops will be deployed with a multinational force or alongside US troops.

The Fiji Peacekeepers Association has welcomed the proposed Iraq deployment.