U.S. VP Biden Welcomes Romania’s Support For Obama Antimissile Def Plan

Basescu said the two parties reaffirmed the principle that security within NATO is undividable and that peace and security come at a cost.

Basescu added they discussed bilateral issues and agreed on the need to strengthen the two countries’ strategic partnership. The Romanian head of state also said talks touched on the situations in Afghanistan and Pakistan.

Biden thanked Romania for its involvement in Afghanistan and praised Romanian troops’ professionalism. Romania has little over 1,000 troops deployed in Afghanistan, part of the NATO-led International Security Assistance Force, a contingent of nearly 68,000 troops drawn from 42 countries.

„In Afghanistan, your forces are performing skillfully and in the toughest places, and toughest combat,” Biden said.

Since 2002, when it deployed troops to Afghanistan, eleven Romanians were killed in action and 43 others were injured.

Biden also underscored that Romania backs the United States’ plan to replace Bush’s plan to have antimissile defense bases in Poland and the Czech Republic with a sea-based system to target short and medium range missiles aimed at Europe, which would also cover Romania.

„I really appreciate your government’s embrace of the new missile defense architecture we are bringing into Europe. It is a better architecture. It has the benefit of protecting you physically, as well as the United States,” Biden said.

Biden is on an Eastern European tour to reaffirm the U.S.’ ties with eastern European allies and reassure Poland and the Czech Republic after the Obama administration announced last month that it has scrapped the Bush-era antimissile shield plan. Biden was in Warsaw Tuesday and will leave for Prague Friday, after his Bucharest visit.