ROMANIAN TIMELINE FOR IRAQ COALITION PARTICIPATION

C O N F I D E N T I A L BUCHAREST 000250

SIPDIS

SIPDIS

STATE FOR EUR/NCE A. JENSEN AND NEA/IPM T. BETTS/W. JENSEN
NSC FOR A. STERLING

E.O. 12958: DECL: 03/26/2023
TAGS: PREL MARR MOPS IZ RO
SUBJECT: ROMANIAN TIMELINE FOR IRAQ COALITION PARTICIPATION
POST-CHAPTER VII MANDATE

REF: A. ELLIS-JENSEN EMAILS-PLUS

B. BUCHAREST 0057

C. STATE 04865

D. 07 BUCHAREST 1317

E. 07 STATE 159862

Classified By: Deputy Chief of Mission Mark A. Taplin;
Reasons 1.4(b) and (d).


1. (C) POLMILOFF met with MFA Director General for Global
Affairs Petru Dumitru on March 27, along with MFA Middle East
Director Dobre and three MOD representatives. Dumitru had
requested the meeting in order to discuss Romania's
legislative timeline for continued legal authority for
Romanian military forces to operate in Iraq. Dumitru said
that Romania is preparing two components for a post-Chapter
VII Mandate for its troops. The first is the substance of a
SOFA and timing for setting troop levels at the late-June
meeting of the Supreme National Defense Council (CSAT),and
the second is the ratification of a bilateral arrangement
before the end of the legislative mandate and before national
elections. Dobre said Romania must have at minimum four
months after the draft bilateral arrangement and prior to the
end of the current Parliament's term to complete legislative
actions (the date for national elections is expected to be
set for December).


2. (C) POLMILOFF used the opportunity to update the MFA and
MOD representatives on the SOFA negotiations. COL Ilie (who
drafts the MOD papers for the CSAT),expressed great
appreciation for the update, and said the U.S. approach
helped simplify matters; MFA Middle East Director Dobre and
DG Dumitru concurred. Ilie confirmed that the MOD would
recommend maintaining Romanian troops in Iraq at current
levels. Ilie also said that the GOR will need to address the
legal aspects for Romania's deployment in two phases. First,
at the late-June CSAT meeting, there needs to be visible
progress on the SOFA negotiations to support the
recommendation for continued Romanian troop deployments in
Iraq. Second, a Parliamentary decision that provides the
legal basis for the deployment must be made before September,
so that the draft SOFA must be received by Parliament in
early August, "...but the sooner, the better." While the
June CSAT will establish the levels for the deployment, there
will still need to be a second CSAT to approve the signing of
the SOFA and the forwarding of the text to Parliament. Ilie
added; "Timing is critical."


3. (C) Comment: This was useful information from MOD and MFA.
It was also good to get confirmation that the MFA and MOD
are recommending that Iraqi troop levels not/not be reduced
for the 2009 deployments. Currently, Romania has about 500
troops in Iraq. Dobre would appreciate periodic updates on
the U.S.-Iraq SOFA negotiations so that Romania can prepare
for the CSAT and Parliamentary decisions well in advance.
End Comment.
TAUBMAN