Black Sea Security
Pentagon chief Chuck Hagel met Romanias defence minister Mircea Dusa in the Black Sea port of Constanta.
Mihai Pelin, 06.06.2014, 13:41
US defence secretary Chuck Hagel paid a short visit to Romania following an invitation by his counterpart in Bucharest, Mircea Dusa. The two officials met in the Black Sea port of Constanta and discussed issues such as the military aspect of the bilateral strategic partnership, the stage of American defence projects in Romania and NATO’s plans to enhance security in the Black Sea region. After the talks, they inspected the USS Vella Gulf cruiser, which was sent to the area in response to the crisis in Romania’s neighbouring Ukraine. Mircea Dusa hailed the enhanced presence of Allied air, land and navy forces:
Mircea Dusa: “We welcome the presence of US navy ships in the Black Sea, which means they can carry out joint exercises with the Romanian navy forces and which increases the security of the region. We also welcome the readiness of the United States and NATO to find concrete solutions so strengthen the presence of NATO capabilities on the Alliance’s eastern flank.”
In the opinion of minister Dusa, the security situation in the region has changed dramatically. The Pentagon chief said Romania is a trusted partner and that president Barack Obama appreciated the support and friendship shown by its Black Sea ally. Earlier in Warsaw, President Obama assured his country’s east-European allies that the US would defend their security as NATO members. He said he would ask Congress for 1 billion dollars to enhance the readiness of US and allied forces in Europe. Chuck Hagel’s visit to Romania comes two weeks after a visit by US vice-president Joe Biden, who also reiterated the US’s commitment to the security of its east-European partners.
Over the next few days, Romania will also receive the visit of three US Senators: the Republican Senator and former presidential candidate John McCain, his Republican colleague Ron Johnson and the Democrat Senator Chris Murphy. The three officials will have talks with representatives of the Romanian government, the president’s office and Parliament. Their trip to Romania comes amid worries about the conflict in Ukraine, a topic also tackled in Brussels by the G7 leaders. The latter called on Russia to pull out its troops from the border with Ukraine and use its influence with pro-Russian separatists to defuse tension in the east of Ukraine. The G7 leaders also said they were ready to impose even tougher sanctions on Russia unless the latter helps restore stability in Ukraine.
