Romania Says Its Joining US Missile Shield Won't Affect START Talks

Romanian President Basescu stated on February 4, 2010, that Romania's top defense institution CSAT (Supreme Defense Council) approved a US proposal plan to install anti-ballistic interceptors in Romania as part of the renewed US missile shield. Photo by E

Romania’s decision to allow elements of the US missile defense in Europe will not affect the US-Russia START nuclear talks or the situation with Moldova’s breakaway region Transnistria.

This has been declared in Chisinau, Moldova, by Romania’s State Secretary for Strategic Affairs, Bogdan Aurescu, as cited by the Romanian news agency HotNews.ro.

According to Aurescu, Romania’s decisions do not have the power to influence the relations between Russia and the USA with respect to the continuing negotiations for a new START agreement between the two nuclear powers.

"I don't believe that such a decision can seriously have a negative effect on the Transnistrian conflict. Romania being part of such a system will not affect global relationships, like the START negotiations, therefore it will have even less impact in the Transnistrian problem,“ Aurescu said as cited by HotNews.ru.

Marian Lupu, leader of the Moldavian Democratic Party, is quoted as saying that Romania’s hosting elements of the US missile shield would affect negatively the Republic of Moldova.

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