Minister of National Defence Ioan Mircea Pascu , General Dr. Mihail Popescu chief of Romanian General Staff and Sergiu Nicolaescu and Razvan Ionescu, presidents of the two Commissions of Defence of the Romanian Parliament will pay a working visit between February 24 and 25, 04 in the theaters of operations in Iraq and Afghanistan following to that paid to the Romanian military acting in Kosovo and Bosnia and Herzegovina.

Tuesday, February 24, 04 Prime Minister of the Romanian Government Adrian Nastase arrived in Iraq and together with the Romanian military officials met and discussed with the foreign military officials from the area of operations and with the Romanian personnel dislocated in Dhi Qar Iraqi region.

After arriving in Kuwait on board on two Coalition combat helicopters, Misters Adrian Nastase and Ioan Mircea Pascu together with the delegations they are heading traveled to Basra, Iraq in order to meet Major General Andrew Stewart, commander of the South-East Multinational Division within the 405 Romanian military from the 26th Infantry Battalion (Red Scorpions) and 100 policemen from the 265th MP Battalion are acting.

Major General Stewart informed the Romanian officials on the evolution of the events in his area of responsibility where the Romanians are fulfilling their missions. Then they visited the locations where the staff officers and the liaison officers are acting within the command.

Brigade General Gian Marco Chiarini, commander of the Joint Italian Force presented a briefing in White Horse Camp where the Red Scorpions are camped. Prime Minister together with minister of National Defence met the personnel from the 26th Infantry Battalion and Military Police Detachment. During the military ceremony, Prime Minister in the name of the President of Romania decorated the Fighting Colours of the 26th Infantry Battalion with Virtutea Militara in knight rank with the signs for military, awarded by the Presidential Decree no. 58, February 18, 2004 for special merits in the process of training for fight and fulfillment of the international missions in Angola, Albania, Kosovo and Afghanistan.

MoND Press Office