The CIA Chief in Bucharest

The strategic partnership between Romania and the USA, the security issues triggered by the Arab Spring, the situation in the Middle East and Afghanistan were among the topics approached in Bucharest by the CIA chief John Brennan in his talks with preside

Valentin Țigău, 19.06.2013, 13:45

The Romanian intelligence services, namely the Foreign Intelligence Service and the Romanian Intelligence Service, are truly remarkable and appreciated in the US, said the director of the Central Intelligence Agency, John Brennan, who was in Bucharest on Tuesday for talks with Romanian officials. He had meetings with the heads of the Romanian special services, with president Traian Basescu and Prime Minister Victor Ponta. The head of the Romanian state said the main political goal of the country was to strengthen relations with the USA, and even when, as it happened with the Kosovo issue, the two countries do not share the same views, this cannot question Romania’s determination to consolidate its relations with the USA. The Romanian president also mentioned the strategic partnership signed by the two countries, which helped boost American investments in Romania.

President Traian Basescu also discussed with CIA director John Brennan security issues entailed by the Arab Spring, the situation in Afghanistan and the Middle East. An analysis was also made of ways to increase the security level further to the agreement between the two countries concerning the elements of the American missile defense system deployed in Romania. John Brennan appreciated the cooperation between the intelligence services of the two countries, and the professionalism of the Romanian services, as well as the exchange of information and analyses underlying both bilateral relations and decisions made within NATO.

Brennan emphasized that, since his previous visit to Bucharest, early in his term in office, he had noted the efforts made by the two parties, as well as the professionalism, motivation, integrity and courage of the Romanian intelligence officers. The US official also thanked the Romanian intelligence community for its contribution to the American efforts to fight terrorism and to counter risks and threats to global security. Also worth noting is that the visit of the US official to Romania came one day after the secretary of Russia’s Security Council, Nikolai Patrushev, was in the Romanian capital city.