Ungureanu in the USA - We are "covered". We are protected

The Minister of External Affairs, Mihai Razvan Ungureanu (photo), has stated in Washington that Romania is a defended and protected country. However, first of all, Romania has to secure the Black Sea and its frontiers. He met with important members of the USA Administration at the White House: Stephen Hadley, Presidential National Security Councilor, John Negroponte, the national director of information, and Gordon England, the deputy of the Defense Secretary.

THE BLACK SEA AGAIN

If Ungureanu is quite optimistic about the security of the boundaries, things change a little in the case of the Black Sea: "We need to focus more and more and think more politically and have a visible strategic result towards the challenges of the Black Sea Basin", he pointed out. As for the Romanians in Iraq, this will be possible until "the Iraqi authorities will see it as unjustified". The issue of the nuclear Iran file has also been discussed upon. "For now, we wait for the political conclusion of the Security Council. However, we have to take a decision now. What’s more important: the conclusion of the International Atomic Energy Agency or the political conclusion of the Security Council", the Romanian Minister said.

ABOUT THE BASIS

The bilateral agreement regarding the hosting of the American military basis in our country has been the main issue of the dialogue with the media. "This is a relationship and an agreement that demands gravity, involvement and responsibility from both countries. Romania has a great advantage due to the fact that our troops are there", Gordon England emphasized. He sees the relation between the USA and Romania as "excellent, absolutely superb". On the other side, Ungureanu stated more confidently: "We are a defended country. We are a protected country". He also talked to two of the most representative members of the Jewish community in the USA. They talked about the conservation of the Jewish patrimony in Romania and about the hosting of a conference on anti-Semitism and other forms of racial and cultural intolerance, under the OSCE aegis.

Translated by Sorin Balan