WARSAW, March 20 (Xinhua) -- The Polish government moved to the president on Thursday to prolong Poland's Afghanistan mission, Polish news agency PAP reported.

    The government also decided to raise the Polish force in Afghanistan from 1,200 to 1,600 troops.

    The extra troops will operate the unit's 8 helicopters, to arrive in Afghanistan in July-August, according to PAP.

    Defense Minister Bogdan Klich said that Poland's involvement in Afghanistan should help Poland gain economic leverage in the country.

    "I regret that previous governments neglected to secure Poland's economic presence in Iraq. This is exactly what we're trying to achieve in Afghanistan," PAP quoted Klich as saying.