More than RON 61 ml for extra Romanian troops deployed to Afghanistan in Q2

Under a Government Resolution published on Monday in the Official Journal of Romania, the Ministry of National Defence (MApN) receives 61.521 million lei (about 14.475 million euros) to cover the costs of the supplementation of Romanian troops in Afghanistan in the second quarter of 2010.

The resolution passed by the Government in its meeting last week provides that the addition to the MApN budget shall be made from the Budget Reserve Fund set at the Government's disposal.

The money will be used for the training and equipping of the extra troops as well as for the reconfiguration of the Romanian contingent deployed to the Afghanistan theater of operations in 2010.

According to the same Resolution, the budget required for the entire reconfiguration of the Romanian forces is in excess of 210 million lei, and the rest of the amount will be made available in Q3 and Q4 either from the Reserve Fund, or by a budget amendment operated by the Government.

The acquisitions of technical equipment and other goods for the supplementation of the Romanian forces in Afghanistan shall be made in a fast-track procedure, the normative act also provides.

Currently, Romania has 1,125 troops deployed to Afghanistan, of which the 1,089 are assigned to ISAF (International Security Assistance Force) missions, under the NATO aegis, and 36 act under the Enduring Freedom operation, in the coalition initiated by the United States.

According to a January 2010 decision by Romania's Supreme Council for National Defence (CSAT) in January this year, Romania shall supplement its forces in Afghanistan to 1,798 during this year, Agerpres reports.