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Romania concludes deal on US bases
In Short:
Romania has agreed to the establishment of US military bases on its territory. Europe has yet to understand the security-related importance of the Black Sea, says President Basescu.
Brief News:
Commenting on the conclusion of an agreement between Bucharest and Washington on the establishment of US military bases in Romania, Romanian President Traian Basescu said on 17 November that "it is clear that the United States seems to be more interested by the instability in the Black Sea area than the Europeans are. They have already understood the importance of the Black Sea for the security of Europe". He said that "we have to continue to advise our friends from the European Union that sooner or later all of us will have a problem with the Black Sea". At the same time, Basescu reiterated that Bucharest's policies rest on "two key pillars: European integration and strong transatlantic ties".
Basescu said that the agreement may be signed in Bucharest in December during a scheduled visit by US Secretary of State Condoleezza Rice. The possible sites for the US bases include Babadag near the Danube delta, the Black Sea port of Constanta and Fetesti, some 200 kms east of Bucharest.
The US military plans to shift its European focus eastward, closer to potential hot spots like the Middle East. Romania has been a member of NATO since 2004.
Negotiations on the establishment of US military bases are also ongoing with neighbouring Bulgaria.
US bases in Romania
By Victor RONCEA
4/03/2006
[...] Romanian civil society will start expressing opinions from now on. The agreement includes a few delicate points, if we think about this "CIA" scandal and the Court Martial sentence on the US Embassy member who caused Romania Teo Peter to die. According to one of these points, US vehicles and ships are not to undergo inspection.
But there is an article more interesting as far as the region's future is concerned.
Article V has it that US forces may pre-position defense equipment on Romanian territory. The French press voiced allegation that the Pentagon hasn't denied: this equipment might include the famous
Patriot missiles. [...]
Ziua