A deal with Washington for the deployment of the US missile shield in Romania, once applied, will improve Romania's security to the highest level in the history of the country, President Traian Basescu said upon his return from the United States on Wednesday. During his trip to Washington, which resulted in the adoption of a joint statement on a Strategic Partnership for the 21 Century and the signing of the accord on the missile shield deployment in Romania, he held talks with President Barack Obama, who intervened during Basescu's scheduled meeting with Vice-President Joe Biden.
The meeting with President Obama had not been mentioned in the agenda announced by the Romanian Presidency for Basescu's visit to the US. But a White House press release brought light on the talks.
Barack Obama joined a meeting between Traian Basescu and Joe Biden which was taking place in the Roosevelt Room of the White House. Obama invited the two to the Oval Office, where they held talks for about 25 minutes.
What happened in the Oval Office:
Obama thanked his Romanian counterpart for the firm partnership of the two countries and congratulated him for the treaty on the deployment of the US missile shield on Romanian territoryHe also congratulated Basescu for the joint statement on the Strategic Partnership for the 21 CenturyHe also thanked him for Romania's actions within NATO and the sacrifice of Romanian soldiers in AfghanistanThey discussed the important role Romania may play in supporting democracy in Europe and the Middle East
Also on Tuesday, Basescu met CIA head David Petraeus and Secretary of Defense Leon Panetta. Meanwhile, Foreign minister Teodor Baconschi and US Secretary of State Hillary Clinton signed the accord on Romania's hosting of terrestrial components of the US missile shield.
Read the whole statement on the US-Rom