The Ministry of National Defense has taken the necessary steps to interrupt the training and advisory missions carried out by the Romanian troops deployed to Iraq, following the decision taken at the North Atlantic Council meeting in Brussels this Monday to temporarily suspend the training of Iraqi troops on the ground, against the backdrop of rising tensions in the Middle East, the Ministry of National Defense said in a release.
According to the Ministry, in order to ensure their safety, the 14 Romanian servicemen who were on mission in Iraq will be temporarily relocated to another coalition base.
The missions of the Romanian troops consisted mainly of preparing and training Iraqi military instructors, counseling the officials of Iraq's Ministry of Defense and other institutions responsible for reforming the security sector and increasing the operational capacity of the armed forces of the Republic of Iraq.
Romania's decision is in full accordance with the allied position expressed at the Monday meeting and, depending on developments in the area, the Romanian troops are ready to resume their missions, the Ministry said.
Romania remains firmly committed to fighting international terrorism, both in the allied format and alongside the partners within the international anti-ISIS coalition, the cited source said.