Romanian president visits Iraq for troops pullout
June 4, 2009 1:53 pm
BAGHDAD, June 4 — Romanian President Traian Basescu arrived on Thursday in Dhi Qar province in southern Iraq to attend ceremony marking his country's troops withdrawal from Iraq, the official Iraqi television reported.
Basescu arrived at the Tulail military base in west of the provincial city of Nassriyah, 375 km southeast of Baghdad, the state-run television of Iraqia said.
The visiting leader will later fly to Baghdad where he expected to meet his Iraqi counterpart Jalal Talabani and Prime Minister Nuri al-Maliki, the channel said.
The Romanian troops were stationed in the Tulail Base and worked alongside the U.S. troops. They provide support to the UNAMI mission in Basra as well as providing logistic support to Iraqi forces.
Since August 2003, Romania has deployed over 5,200 troops to Iraq as part of Multi-National Division troops in Iraq.
Two Romanian soldiers have died in Iraq since 2003. Romania is a member of NATO and also has 644 soldiers serving in Afghanistan. (PNA/Xinhua)
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