Defense Minister Bogdan Klich said on Wednesday that Poland would boost the number of troops it has stationed in Afghanistan, from the current 1,600. It has not yet been determined how many more troops will be sent.

“We have asked the president to approve the plan to send additional troops to Afghanistan,” Klich told a news conference, adding that they would probably arrive in May.

Last month, Klich said that Poland had scrapped plans to increase its contingent in Afghanistan by 600 troops, due to the need to scale back spending.

Minister Klich is under pressure from Prime Minister Donald Tusk to find savings in his ministry, as income into the national budget becomes increasingly squeezed due to the global financial crisis.

“Training of the Afghan army and police is a priority right now, so the money for this must be found,” Klich said.

NATO Secretary-General Jaap de Hoop Scheffer called for some 4,000 more soldiers to help secure Afghanistan's presidential election in August, earlier on Wednesday during a trip to Kabul.

The Gazeta Wyborcza daily reported on Wednesday that Poland was set to send an additional 400 troops to Afghanistan. Klich declined to comment on the report, saying the final figure would be determined after more consultations.

Source: Reuters