TONGA will send 55 troops to Afghanistan to serve alongside the UK Armed Services following the signing of a Memorandum of Understanding MOU between Tonga and the International Security Assistance Force ISAF in London on October 7.

A Press Statement from the Foreign and Commonwealth Office stated that the signing of the MOU was "the final step for 55 Tongan troops to be deployed in Afghanistan to serve alongside the UK Armed Services."

Tonga will become the 48th country to contribute troops to the ISAF mission. The ISAF, a NATO-led security mission in Afghanistan, was established by the United Nations Security Council on 20 December 2001. Countries that have troops with the ISAF included Denmark, Canada, the United States, the United Kingdom, Italy, France, Germany, the Netherlands, Belgium, Spain, Turkey, Ireland, Poland and most members of the European Union and NATO, also including Australia, New Zealand, Azerbaijan and Singapore.

Following the signing of the MOU Brigadier 'Uta'atu from the Tonga Defence Services who was in London this week met with the Foreign Office Minister Jeremy Browne, who expressed the UK's appreciation for past contributions made by the Tongan Armed Services and for their forthcoming deployment to Afghanistan. He also thanked Brigadier Uta'atu for the active role he personally played in making the deployment a reality.