The Romanian foreign ministry will not have negotiations with the United States and other allies on logistics and strategic details of Romania's military withdrawal from Iraq, the ministry's director general on NATO relations Victor Micula said Thursday.

He underlined at a press conference that, for the ministry to launch this type of negotiations with the allies, approval of the Supreme Council of Defense of the Country (CSAT) is needed.

"CSAT stance in this regard is the one expressed by President Traian Basescu on the occasion of the latest meeting," Micula stressed.

Prime Minister Calin Popescu-Tariceanu announced two weeks ago that he wished the drawing up of a timetable of Romania's military withdrawal from Iraq until this year-end.

At the end of the last CSAT meeting on March 30, President Traian Basescu remarked that the subject of Iraq withdrawal was not included in the meeting's agenda, although Tariceanu did not miss the occasion to argue his point of view in front of the Council.

"Legal procedures must be pursued, including CSAT adoption, but not prior to seriously debates on the subject with our allies," stated Basescu at the end of March 30 meeting.

Last June, former Defense Minister Teodor Atanasiu put forward a proposal that Romania's troops pull out from Iraq, with the move being backed by the Prime Minister. The proposal stirred heated debates, but it was rejected at first by Basescu and later by the CSAT. After the rejection, Popescu-Tariceanu maintained that the Romanian military presence in Iraq was "unpopular and no longer useful."

Currently, there are 605 Romanian troops in Iraq, most deployed in Talil, southern Iraq.

Source: Xinhua