Bucharest, Aug 26 (IANS) Romania's Supreme Council for National Defence (CSAT) decided on Wednesday to participate with a staff of 200 troops in the evacuation and relocation of Afghan citizens who worked for NATO missions in Afghanistan.

"The NATO operation will consist in principle of taking Afghan citizens from temporary bases in Kuwait and Qatar and relocating them to temporary bases stationed in the territory of the allied states," announced the Presidential Administration in a press release, Xinhua news agency reported.

The CSAT, which includes the president, the prime minister, the ministers of defence and foreign affairs, and intelligence chiefs, acts as Romania's top executive body on security and defence issues.

Romania has been part of NATO's missions in Afghanistan since 2002. In the past 19 years, 27 of its soldiers have lost their lives in combat, while about 200 have been injured.

--IANS int/pgh