According to Minister of National Defence, Teodor Atanasiu, Romania will support the elections in Afghanistan, making available the Battalion destined to the NATO strategic reserve.

The unit fulfilling this mission is the 26th Infantry Battalion that will act under NATO subordination within ISAF and the mission is programmed for being developed within three months starting August 2005.

The Romanian soldiers have been voluntarily selected and performed a training program adapted for the mission. A good part of the 400 soldiers of the Battalion known as Red Scorpions participated in missions in Afghanistan (July 2002/January 2003) and Iraq (January/July 2004).

The deployment of the Battalion to a mission was approved based on the stipulations of Law no. 42 from March 15, 2004 on the participation of the armed forces outside the Romanian territory.

The financial funds necessary for training and participation in this mission were projected in the budget for 2005.

The Romanian Armed Forces are present in Afghanistan with about 550 soldiers, 80 assigned within ISAF and 470 within the Enduring Freedom operation led by the US Army. Staff officers, Military Policemen, air traffic controllers, intelligence officers and soldiers participating in the projects of reconstruction of provinces are working within ISAF.

Romanian soldiers operating within Enduring Freedom operation are fulfilling the missions of surveillance and security in the area the forces are deployed or where the actions are performed, missions of support for humanitarian actions or the reconstruction and participation in training the Afghani National Armed Forces.

MoND Press Office