Romanian president Traian Basescu, who attended the Pope's inauguration ceremony in the Vatican today (March 19 - in picture ) met US vice-president Joe Biden, who gave reassurance that the anti-missile shield in Romania will not be affected by the most recent decisions in Washington. The program will continue as it had been agreed with the Romanian authorities.

U.S. Defense Secretary Chuck Hagel recently said that the Pentagon will add missile interceptors in Alaska in response to threats from North Korea, and to pay for this, about USD 1 billion would be taken from the missile shield projects in Poland and Romania. The US thus decided to give up the interceptors in Poland, but plans with Romania, where the interceptors would be placed in the village of Deveselu, still stand.

The interceptors in Romania will be ready at the end of 2015. Deveselu, the village in Southern Romania where the anti-missile shield will be placed, remains under Romania’s property and sovereign jurisdiction, according to the agreement signed by Romania and the US in fall 2011. The Romanian President said that the anti-missile agreement with US signed in Washington brings Romania’s security to the highest level in the country’s history.

editor@romania-insider.com

(photo sources: Presidency.ro)