by XINHUA BUENOS AIRES, Aug. 25 (Xinhua) -- Argentina sends a new military contingent to support the United Nations peacekeeping efforts in Cyprus, the country's defense ministry announced on Monday. "This mission of our Armed Forces is another demonstration of the country's commitment to global peace," Defense Minister Agustin Rossi said at a ceremony here to officially see off the troops. The Argentine task force will be joined by Chilean and Paraguayan military personnel in their peacekeeping mission. Argentina has helped the UN's peacekeeping efforts in Cyprus since 1993, along with Austria, Brazil, Canada, Chile, China, Croatia, Hungary, Paraguay, Serbia, Slovakia and the United Kingdom. The long-running territorial dispute in Cyprus originated from the ethnic contradictions between the Mediterranean island's Greek Cypriot and Turkish Cypriot communities. Since 1960 the announcement of independence of the Republic of Cyprus has not ended the bloodshed yet. The UN has made a great effort to end the division in Cyprus over the past 30 years. The UN mission in Cyprus was established in March of 1964 to prevent further outbreaks of fighting.
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