Ambassador Maior upholds idea of Romania hosting permanent US presence

Romania's Ambassador to the United States George Cristian Maior upholds the idea of our country hosting a permanent US presence, highlighting in an interview granted on Monday to the Politico publication the excellent Romanian-American cooperation in defence and security.

We always wish to see a larger US presence, Maior stated, adding that Romania, according to surveys, is the most pro-US country in Europe. 

In the context, he reminded that Romania already hosts the anti-missile defence system at Deveselu, and the US military use Mihail Kogalniceanu air base, very close to the Crimean Peninsula. 

In the interview, the Romanian ambassador upheld the idea that the US military forces move their concentration form the centre of the European continent towards the eastern flank, adding that we must not forget that a serious militarisation process is underway in Crimea which is why a deterrence of these actions is needed, through a substantial US presence in the region, continuing the European Deterrence Initiative. 

Moreover, the dignitary explained that within the NATO Advanced Presence, due to the increase in the number of joint exercises, the operational capabilities of the Romanian armed forces have grown. It is a powerful signal that conveys that on NATO's eastern flank, from the Baltic Sea to the Black Sea, counteracting measures against Russia's aggressive defence policy are being taken, the Romanian ambassador showed. 

George Cristian Maior affirmed that the new, hybrid type of threats, "very subtle and very complicated", must be currently counteracted. As a country, "we have detected these activities for a long time," the Ambassador affirmed, specifying that Romania has warned its allies against Russia's enhanced use of hybrid tactics. 

In the same interview, Maior said that the Romanian Defence Minister, Mihai Fifor will carry out a visit to the United States in September, in Washington, where he will have meetings with Secretary of Defence Jim Mattis, to discuss several aspects related to defence bilateral cooperation, among which Romania's offer to host a permanent US military contingent at Mihail Kogalniceanu air base. 

This base, Maior said, is less than 150 miles from Crimea, whose annexation by Russia is not recognised by the United States, as recently reiterated by Secretary of State Mike Pompeo.