Defence Minister Gabriel Les and the Chief of Defence Staff, General Nicolae Ciuca, will participate in the ceremony that marks the departure of the Detachment Carpathian Pumas, which will take place on Monday, 19 August, starting 14.00, in the 57th Mihail Kogalniceanu Air Base.

The 120 members of the Romanian detachment, operating 4 IAR-330 Puma L-RM helicopters, will begin their mission at the middle of October.

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A board of the UN Department for Peace-keeping Operations evaluated the Helicopter Detachment Carpathian Pumas from the 57th Mihail Kogalniceanu Air Base with a view of participating in the United Nations Multidimensional Integrated Stabilization Mission in Mali (MINUSMA).

The conclusions of the evaluation certify the fact that the detachment meets the UN standards requested for participation in mission.

The board evaluated the personnel, equipment and materiel with a view of establishing the operational capability of the detachment so that it can accomplish its commitment assigned by means of the documents signed by Romania and UNO.

Romania will support UN in assisting the Government of the Republic of Mali to continue the implementation of the Peace Agreement, the protection of civilians and preventing the hostile armed elements to return to the populated area. The Romanian detachment will conduct MEDEVAC/CASEVAC missions, troop and material transportation, passenger transportation missions, air patrolling and observation missions.

The detachment is due to leave in the near future and the mission will begin in October. The mission will be conducted over a year, between October 2019-October 2020 and the contingent will rotate after six months.

The Press Office