Romanian soldiers in foreign theaters of operations

The over 600 Romanian soldiers deployed in Afghanistan are coming back home

Leyla Cheamil, 12.05.2021, 13:50

The Romanian soldiers in Afghanistan are coming back home. The head of state, Klaus Iohannis has sent a letter to the Romanian Parliament informing it about the end of the Romanian Army’s participation in the NATO Resolute Support Mission in Afghanistan and the redeployment in the country, starting with May 1, of the Romanian military contingent, at the end of their mission, according to the timetable agreed with the allies and strategic partners. The Doha peace agreement, signed in February last year between the US government and the Taliban movement, paved the way for the withdrawal of US troops from Afghanistan and, implicitly, the end of the mission, according to the letter signed by the head of state.

Klaus Iohannis says in the letter that, following the US’s announcement of the intention to withdraw its troops from Afghanistan, starting May 1, made at the NATO foreign and defense ministers’ meeting held in April this year, the North Atlantic Council decided to begin the withdrawal of NATO troops, to be completed by September 11. The Resolute Support mission was launched on January 1, 2015, as a continuation of the international Security Force Assistance (ISAF) mission, the main objective being to train and advise the Afghan security forces.

Romania has participated with troops in Afghanistan since 2002, when a Romanian infantry battalion was deployed on a combat mission outside the national territory, in a theater of operations, for the first time since WWII. Last week, the first 70 Romanian soldiers arrived in the country. The plan to withdraw the 600 soldiers is coordinated together with the commanders from the theater of operations, for the process to take place in conditions of maximum safety. Since 2002, over 32,000 Romanian Army soldiers have participated in the mission in this country, in rotations of six months each. During this time, the Romanian air force has ensured, in two different missions, the command of the international airport in Kabul.

In the 19 years of participation with military structures in this theater of operations, 27 soldiers have lost their lives and over 200 have been injured, according to the Ministry of Defense. In another move, President Klaus Iohannis has informed Parliament about the participation of the Romanian Army with troops, means and equipment in the extended NATO mission in Iraq, in the second half of this year. Against the background of the declining US presence in Iraq and Baghdad’s interest in strengthening its partnership with NATO, the North Atlantic Council has approved an increase in NATO’s expanded mission in Iraq to some 4,400 troops, the Romanian head of state’s letter also reads.(MI)