Major Mihaita Ciobanca, PR officer of the Romanian contingent in Iraq transmitted:

Major Daniel Petrescu, the 2nd Infantry Battalion Calugareni commander informed the representatives of the local authorities from their area of responsibility on the fact that the Romanian unit took over the responsibility in the area and discussed with them the issues related to the legal issues of the state of security.

The meeting held Sunday, February 13, 2005 in Mittica Camp (An Nasiriyah) was the first since the Battalion arrived in the theater of operations. The discussions focused on continuation of CIMIC operations that are developing, and the identification and start of the new ones, where necessary. They discussed the capacity of the local police in fulfilling their missions and the possibility for the Battalion to grant assistance in training the Iraqi police forces.

The representatives of the local authorities said that now, after the elections the situation will be calm from the security point of view and that they should be focused on the development of the civil-military cooperation relations by the local authorities.

Also present at this meeting was Lieutenant Colonel Dorin Blaiu, commander of the 812th Battalion Soimii Carpatilor, who ended the mission in Iraq Sunday, 13 Feb 2005. The delegated governor of Suq Ash Shuyukh region stressed the fact that security in the area of responsibility of the Romanian forces was a success. Blaiu thanked the representatives of the local authorities for their good cooperation during the Soimii Carpatilor presence in Iraq and gave them a Diploma de onoare (Diploma of Honor).

MoND Press Office