Deveselu military base to become operational
The military base in Deveselu, southern Romania, forming part of the US missile defence system, has become operational.
Florentin Căpitănescu, 18.12.2015, 12:30
Over the past
few years, the relationship between Romania and the USA has improved
constantly. Although two major issues are yet unresolved, namely the absence of
big American investors in Romania and the fact that Romanians still need visa
to travel to the US, the political and military cooperation between the two
countries has reached an excellent level according to Romanian foreign policy
analysts.
The latest joint
accomplishment was announced on Friday, when the elements of the American
missile defence system installed at the military base in Deveselu, in southern
Romania, became operational. The facility in Deveselu, which includes a
sophisticated radar system, ballistic missile interceptors and state-of-the-art
communication equipment, will be a major module of a larger NATO security
project.
To mark the
occasion, the Romanian Foreign Ministry held a special ceremony, which was
attended by the Romanian defence and foreign ministers, Mihnea Motoc and Lazar
Comanescu, respectively, the US Ambassador to Bucharest, Hans Klemm, the
director of the US Missile Defence Agency, vice-admiral James Syring, and NATO
Assistant Secretary General for Defence Investment, Patrick Auroy. Speaking on
this occasion, the Romanian Foreign Minister Lazar Comanescu emphasised the
strictly defensive purpose of the facility, in response to Russia’s claims that
the system in Deveselu is a threat to its security.
The former
foreign minister Bogdan Aurescu, who headed the Romanian delegation in the
negotiations concerning the location of the American anti-missile shield,
further confirmed this view. Bogdan Aurescu:
This location
best suits the need to protect the Allied territories, people and forces in the
event of hostile missiles fired from outside the Euro-Atlantic area,
particularly from the Middle East.
Strengthening
the Romanian-American Strategic Partnership, the facility in Deveselu is
officially finalised the very year when Bucharest and Washington celebrate 135
years of diplomatic relations. Both the US House of Representatives and the
Senate issued resolutions to mark the anniversary. Two weeks ago, the House of Representatives described Romania as a key ally of the US, while the Senate recently expressed
its appreciation for Bucharest’s firm partnership with Washington. Romanians
themselves view the United States as their country’s greatest friend and the
ally that can guarantee their security in a difficult international context.
