Romanian troops will stay in Iraq, Romania's Foreign Minister Mihai Razvan Ungureanu confirmed Monday following talks in Baghdad with his Iraqi counterpart Hoshyar Zebari, DPA reported. Romanian troops would only withdraw from the country if and when the Iraqi government requested, Ungureanu was quoted as saying by Romania's Mediafax news agency. "Romania's presence is friendly" and is targeted at "the stabilization of the situation in Iraq," he continued. Major security measures were put in place for Ungureanu's visit to Iraq which was not announced prior to his arrival. Romania has about 860 soldiers in Iraq working on reconstruction projects as part of the so-called U.S.-led "coalition of the willing". Romanian troops, however, are not involved in military combat.
