He said it is important for Romania to deploy troops to Chad, as it is the country’s first participation to a European Union mission since it joined the bloc in January 2007.
Melescanu added Romanian troops are not mandated to get involved in this country’s domestic disputes.
"This type of mission is completely different from those in Afghanistan and Iraq," the minister said.
Unlike NATO mission that have no time limits, Melescanu said, EU missions are limited to one year.
General Henri Bentégeat, chairman of the European Union Military Committee, said Friday he had a discussion with Romanian President Traian Basescu before romania’s defense council meeting, and the president told him the country had not yet decided whether or not it would send troops to Chad.