MApN: Approximately 70 Romanian soldiers in the theaters of operations to be repatriated

Approximately 70 Romanian soldiers who participate in NATO's "Resolute Support" mission in Afghanistan, in NATO's "Inherent Resolve" coalition type of mission in Iraq and in the training and counselling mission of the European Union in the Central African Republic are to be repatriated, informs a press release of the Ministry of National Defence (MApN).

This is a measure meant to reconfigure the number of Romanian soldiers who will be operating in international missions in the next interval, in the context of the measures taken to combat the effects of the COVID-19 pandemic, specified the same source.

The Ministry added that the soldiers will be able to return to the theaters of operations if the respective missions' command asks for it. Similar measures were also taken by other NATO and EU member states or their partners.

The configuration of the detachments of the Ministry of National Defence deployed in the other missions and operations outside the Romanian state borders remains unchanged. The measures of reconfiguration, taken based on the consultation and by coordinating with the partners in the North-Atlantic Alliance and the European Union, according to the national legislation in force during this time do not impact the manner in which the missions are accomplished and the safety of the Romanian troops in the theaters of operations, said the same source.

Moreover, the MApN pointed out, the Romanian Army will continue to meet its responsibilities assumed by Romania at international level, and the situation in the theaters of operations where Romanian troops operate will be permanently monitored in view of establishing the necessary measures, depending on the development of the epidemiological and security situation in the respective areas where they are deployed and on the measures adopted at the global level meant to reduce the risk of contamination with the SARS-CoV-2 virus.