Departure of the first Belgian soldiers to Abidjan

They left around 11:00 Melsbroek military airport aboard the Airbus A330 used by the Belgian army to Abidjan.

A first group of 35 Belgian soldiers involved in the operation Serval led France to Mali to combat armed Islamist groups flew Wednesday morning to Côte d'Ivoire, where they will implement two aircraft C-130 transport "Hercules". They left around 11:00 Melsbroek military airport aboard the Airbus A330 used by the Belgian army to Abidjan, the economic capital of Côte d'Ivoire, following the decision of the Council of Ministers restricted to participate in the French operation with two C-130 and two helicopters Agusta A109 for medical evacuation missions.

Belgium has two C-130 and two helicopters to the French army

BRUSSELS - Belgium on Tuesday decided to support the French intervention in Mali by deploying two aircraft and two C-130 medevac helicopters.

Belgium provides logistical support in the fight against terrorism in Mali, said the Prime Minister Elio Di Rupo at the end of a closed meeting of his government devoted to Mali.

The kingdom has responded to a request from France by deploying two C-130 strategic airlift and tactical. They will be operational tomorrow (Thursday) morning, according to the Defense Minister Pieter De Crem.

Belgium will also send in a second time, A-109 helicopter and a helicopter medicalized reserve for casualty evacuation.

About 75 Belgian soldiers involved in the operation and leave in the coming hours and days towards Abidjan and Bamako to begin their mission, according to the Ministry of Defence. These men are not involved in combat operations.

The government will evaluate its commitment late February or early March, said Mr De Crem.

His counterpart Didier Reynders, in charge of Foreign Affairs, said that the aim was that the French operation as soon as possible gives over to an international operation where we would continue to play a role.

Belgium: The 2013 defense budget passes the course of the commission of the House

The Defence Committee of the House on Wednesday approved a de facto draft 2013 budget of the Ministry of Defence, which amounted to 2.715 billion euros, while some members have called the incumbent minister, Pieter De Crem, to promote greater European defense.

Six of the members present, the majority voted in favor of the view to render to the Committee on Finance and Budget, while three of the opposition abstained. The budget agreement set the defense budget to 2.715 billion euros this year. In nominal terms, it is a budget reduction of about 6 million euros compared to 2012 actual budget and effort of 32.7 million euros compared to the budget adopted in bilateral before fixing final federal budget in late November, said Mr De Crem (CD & V) to members, saying its budget spared "draconian and unrealistic." Defense, however, contributed "substantially and solidarity" in the public finances, he said. The minister, however, got 3.2 million of additional appropriations for a specific grant National Geographic Institute (IGN) for the continuation of the implementation of the INSPIRE directive to establish an infrastructure for spatial information in the European Union. (PVO)