Kazakhstan\'s parliament on 30 May voted in favor of sending a group of military engineers to participate in the U.S.-led international stabilization force in Iraq. The parliamentary action was in response to a written request from Kazakh President Nursultan Nazarbaev, who reportedly emphasized the political and international importance of the participation of Kazakh peacekeepers in international reconstruction activities in Iraq. Defense Minister Colonel General Mukhtar Altynbaev reportedly told parliament that the Kazakh contingent will consist of 25 persons, including eight officers, three interpreters, and a group of contract servicemen. The contingent, which Altynbaev said has been training for such missions for a long time, is scheduled to remain in Iraq for six months. The primary tasks of the Kazakh peacekeepers will be to search for water and remove land mines, according to Altynbaev. He estimated that the peacekeeping force could cost Kazakhstan as much as $98,000. (Interfax-Kazakhstan)