TIRANA, May 7 (Xinhua) -- The Albanian government approved on Wednesday to send troops to Chad and the Central African Republic to take part in the EU-led peacekeeping mission on the ground.

    "Albania will participate with a unit, and I think it's a good decision, because it is a very important moment for our country," Albanian Prime Minister Sali Berisha said at the meeting of the Council of Ministers.

    Albania was invited to join NATO at the alliance's summit in Bucharest, capital of Romania, at the start of April, and it hopes to secure an EU candidate country status as soon as possible. Albania signed the Stabilization and Association Agreement with EU in 2006.

    "We will do our utmost to take part in NATO and other EU mission, to help with their peacekeeping work," Berisha said.

    Albania already has a total of 350 troops in EU-led mission in Bosnia, NATO-led mission in Afghanistan and the U.S.-led forces in Iraq.