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CSAT: 200 Romanian troops to be used for evacuating Afghans who worked for NATO missions
At a meeting on Wednesday, Romania's Supreme Council for National Defence (CSAT) discussed the current state of affairs in Afghanistan and its implications for Romania's interests, both in terms of security and politics and humanitarianism, and decided to continue to take steps to bring Afghan nationals - collaborators of the Romanian authorities and international organisations, students on scholarships and vulnerable categories, such as journalists, human rights activists, magistrates - safely to Romania.
According to a press statement released by the Romanian Presidential Administration, CSAT appreciated the way in which the Interinstitutional Task Force managed the repatriation of Romanian nationals who requested it and the effort to relocate Afghan nationals - collaborators of the Romanian authorities and international organisations, students on scholarships and vulnerable categories, such as journalists, human rights activists, magistrates. The council also appreciated the effort of Romanian authorities to evacuate seven citizens of some partner and NATO member states.
"At the CSAT meeting, it was established that further steps should be taken in order to bring Afghan nationals from the categories mentioned above safely to Romania, as objective difficulties related to security have so far prevented their access to the airport," the statement reads.
Thus, CSAT decided on Wednesday that the Romanian Army, with a staff of 200 troops, should participate in the evacuation and relocation of Afghan citizens who worked for NATO missions in Afghanistan.
The Romanian military will participate in the operation starting with August, for a maximum of 6 months.
"The NATO operation will consist in principle of taking Afghan citizens from temporary bases in Kuwait and Qatar and relocating them to temporary bases stationed in the territory of the allied states, providing essential services. In this sense, based on the initial planning elements communicated by the Command of the Allied Forces in Europe, the CSAT decided the participation of the Romanian Army in this operation of evacuation and relocation of Afghan citizens with a maximum of 200 troops, starting with August 2021, for a period of no more than 6 months," the Presidential Administration states in a release.
CSAT members concluded that managing the consequences of the situation in Afghanistan in the short, medium and long term, including in terms of lessons learned, will be one of the important elements of better practical cooperation, in complementarity, between NATO and the EU, and Romania will participate to this effort, adds the quoted source.
Council members also stressed the need for greater coordination in strategic communication and the fight against misinformation.
Romania's Council for National Defence (CSAT) decided on Wednesday to activate the Interministerial Committee of the country's National Coalition for Refugee Integration, tasking the Interior Ministry with assessing the capacity to take in refugees/ asylum seekers and the possibility of expanding it.
"In the short and medium term, Romania will continue to support, including through humanitarian and development assistance funds, projects that directly help improve the situation of Afghan nationals in Afghanistan and Afghan refugees. An integrated approach to migration is needed related to developments in Afghanistan through effective interinstitutional collaboration. That is why CSAT has decided to activate the Interministerial Committee of the National Coalition for Refugee Integration," according to a press statement released by the Presidential Administration.
Also, collaboration with the relevant European institutions will be intensified, first of all with FRONTEX, as well as with the neighbouring countries that could be targeted, together with Romania, by potential migration waves from Afghanistan.
"CSAT concluded that urgent changes are needed to the normative framework of the Ministry of Internal Affairs and the Ministry of Foreign Affairs in order to complete resources for response to the situations on the ground, so that Romania can effectively provide assistance with the takeover and relocation of Afghan nationals. The level of Romania's involvement in the solidarity effort of the international refugee reception community was another topic analysed by CSAT, and the start of necessary preparations was ordered," reads the statement.
The developments in Afghanistan are in a "constant flux," and Romania, "in full coordination with its international partners", will pursue the adoption and implementation of the best options to respond to the political, security and humanitarian challenges generated by the Afghan crisis.
"To Romania, the regime change in Afghanistan may have security consequences due to the dangers posed by extremism, terrorism, the export of instability in the region, drugs and arms trafficking, illegal migration, all of which must be countered. Consequently, Romania will take the necessary measures and remain committed to defending the national interests of its nationals and will equally join, in solidarity, together with its partners and allies, in the international effort to overcome the crisis," the document also reads.
(Photo: https://www.presidency.ro/)