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22. 10. 09. - 16:00

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22. 10. 09. - 16:00

Biden and Basescu agree NATO security is indivisible

Romanian Times

Romanian President Traian Basescu said today (Thurs) after meeting with US Vice President Joe Biden that their talk had reaffirmed that security in NATO was indivisible.

Basescu added that Biden had thanked Romania for supporting the US anti-missile defence plan and they had agreed that peace and security came at a cost.

They had also discussed bilateral issues and agreed on the need to strengthen the two countries' strategic partnership, the president said, adding that discussion had touched on the situations in Afghanistan and Pakistan, Mediafax reports.

Biden thanked Romania for its involvement in Afghanistan and praised Romanian troops' professionalism. Romania has more than 1,000 troops deployed in Afghanistan, part of the NATO-led International Security Assistance Force (ISAF), which has nearly 68,000 troops from 42 countries.

"In Afghanistan, your forces are performing skilfully and in the toughest places and toughest combat," Biden said.

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

Biden also noted that Romania backed the US government’s decision to replace Bush's plan to have anti-missile defence bases in Poland and the Czech Republic with a sea-based system to target short- and medium-range missiles aimed at Europe.

"I really appreciate your government's embrace of the new missile-defence architecture we are bringing to Europe. It is a better architecture and has the benefit of protecting you as well as the United States," Biden said.

Biden is on an Eastern European tour to reaffirm the US' ties to Eastern European allies and reassure Poland and the Czech Republic after the Obama administration announced last month that it had scrapped the Bush-era anti-missile shield plan. Biden was in Warsaw on Tuesday and will leave for Prague tomorrow.

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