Romanian troops deployed in the theaters of operations in Afghanistan were congratulated on December 1, the National Day of Romania, by Commander ISAF, General David Petraeus, during a ceremony conducted at ISAF Command in Kabul.

The ceremony opened with the Romanian anthem. Then, Colonel Dan Suta, national representative of the Romanian contingent, presented the significance of the National Day to an audience consisting of the over 50 Romanian troops on duty in the Afghan capital city and their foreign colleagues.

In his speech, General Petraeus recalled the memory of the Romanian soldiers who were killed on duty during the almost nine years of Romanian presence in Afghanistan, emphasized the efforts of the Romanian soldiers acting in southern Afghanistan and Kabul Province and their significant contribution to ISAF mission.

The ISAF commander highlighted the professionalism of the Romanian soldiers with whom he had previously worked in missions in Bosnia and Herzegovina, in Iraq and now in Afghanistan, the fact that they are present in hotspots around the world alongside their allies, one more proof of the reliability of Romania as NATO partner.

General Petraeus ended his speech saying that whilst the mission they are all involved in is and will still be a difficult one, the strong commitment of the countries involved in ISAF, such as Romania, makes this difficult task possible.

MoND Press Office