PM Ponta visits Romanian troops in Kosovo

Prime Minister Victor Ponta met the Romanian peacekeeping troops in Kosovo on Saturday. He wanted to personally thank them for their work, highly appreciated by fellow NATO members.

'We the heads usually get all the praises — you know it's true; American, Italian commanders tell us how good you are. I think it's fair to say it to you directly. (...) We thank you all for doing your duty, for carrying out your missions abroad, and this is a great advantage for Romania, too as you and your colleagues in Afghanistan and back home guarantee Romania is a serious partner within NATO; that our troops, wherever they're needed, do their job very well,' the prime minister told the military personnel during his visit together with Defence Minister Mircea Dusa.

'I'm sure we're not seen as enemies, neither by Albanian Kosovars, nor by Serbian ones, because they know very well we have never been their foes in any way, which makes us even more credible, as we want peace and dialogue and no longer needing peacekeeping troops as soon as possible, although it would probably take some time,' Ponta commented his visit in a phone call to the B1 TV station.

Romania currently contributes 68 troops to the KFOR mission of NATO in Kosovo, plus a strategic reserve of 128. The prime minister also met on Saturday their commanders in the Alliance. AGERPRES