Apr 1, 2008 (Romania Report & sources)
Bush backs Ukraine and Georgia for NATO – REUTERS… US President Bush arrives in Bucharest for NATO summit… Romania’s President Traian Basescu and NATO Secretary General Jaap de Hoop Scheffer met on Tuesday evening … President Basescu at the opening of Transatlantic Forum in Bucharest
Bush backs Ukraine and Georgia for NATO
BUCHAREST - U.S. President George W. Bush vowed on Tuesday to press for Ukraine and Georgia to be allowed to start the process of joining NATO despite resistance from Russia and scepticism from the alliance's European members, Reuters reports on Tuesday. Moscow's envoy to NATO, Dmitry Rogozin, told Interfax news agency: "The Membership Action Plan marks the point of no return, in our opinion. If MAP is granted to Georgia and Ukraine ... our relations would take a dramatic turn."
Bush, in Kiev on his way to his farewell NATO summit in Romania beginning on Wednesday, said Moscow had no right to veto bids by the two former Soviet republics to join the 26-nation Western defence pact.
But French Prime Minister Francois Fillon said Paris would oppose giving Kiev and Tbilisi a "Membership Action Plan" -- a roadmap to joining NATO -- to avoid upsetting the balance of power with Russia. Germany shares those objections.
Bush told a news conference with Ukrainian President Viktor Yushchenko: "In Bucharest this week, I will continue to make America's position clear. We support MAP for Ukraine and Georgia.
US President Bush arrives in Bucharest for NATO summit
Bucharest - US President George W Bush, his wife Laura and Secretary of State Condoleezza Rice arrived in the Romanian capital Bucharest Tuesday evening ahead of a NATO summit. Following the official opening of the summit Wednesday evening, Bush is scheduled to give a speech at a conference and then travel to the Black Sea resort of Neptune to hold talks with his Romanian counterpart Traian Basescu.
Bush arrived in Romania from NATO candidate Ukraine and he plans to travel on to another potential member of the alliance, Croatia, after the summit ends Friday.
The Romanian government views Bush's visit as an indication that the United States is attaching more importance to the Black Sea region, where it has stationed troops since the summer of 2007.
Romania’s President Traian Basescu and NATO Secretary General Jaap de Hoop Scheffer met on Tuesday evening
Bucharest, Cotroceni Palace, Apr 1 – In the evening, Romania’s President Traian Basescu and NATO Secretary General Jaap de Hoop Scheffer met in order to review the Summit agenda main issues – Afghanistan, the alliance enlargement, possibly Kosovo, and NATO-Russia Council.
In a press statement, Jaap de Hoop Scheffer thanked the Romanians for providing the required logistics in organizing the biggest NATO summit ever. “[…] I wish to tell you that this Summit has a very interesting agenda – we shall focus on the alliance’s operations, on the anti-missile shield and energy security issues. […] I would like to mention the very significant meeting on Afghanistan (to take place on Apr 3, in the presence of President Hamid Karzai, UN Secretary General Ban Ki-moon, the EC President Jose Manuel Barroso, World bank representatives etc), meeting that shows the many-folded approach the international community is providing to the Afghani problem.” Moreover, all the ISAF contributors are to participate at the meeting – i.e. Australia, New Zeeland, and Japan –, thus underlining the importance of this operation, Scheffer added.
President Traian Basescu thanked to NATO’s Secretary General and to all heads of the alliance’s member states for giving Romania the chance to organize the Bucharest Summit. “In the last six months, and during this Summit, Romania had and will have the opportunity to be a dialogue partner and a country able to provide its partners with solutions – solutions that be adopted during the Summit,” Mr. Basescu said.
President Basescu at the opening of Transatlantic Forum in Bucharest
On Tuesday evening, in Bucharest, Mr. Basescu delivered the opening speech at the “Transatlantic Forum” – organized by by German Marshall Fund (GMF) with the support of the Ministry of Foreign Affairs and Chatham House.
President Traian Basescu said “I am convinced that in Bucharest we are able to undertake actual progress in implementing a whole set of projects and initiatives […] regarding the Alliance’s enlargement policy, energy and cyber security, partnerships, regarding the increased NATO’s role in Afghanistan, the co-operation with other international organizations, and strengthening our military capacities. […] The ongoing international developments do not provide us with the indulgence to postpone decisions or to take half-steps.”
Mr. Basescu expressed his hope that NATO will open its doors to all three candidate states – i.e. Albania, Croatia, and FYROM.
In his speech, Mr. Basescu addressed the sensitive issues of NATO increasing role in the extended Black Sea region, reaching the Middle East, South Caucasus regions and, therefore Russia and Central Asia.
“I strongly believe that the Black Sea Region is part of the same process that promotes democracy, stability and reforms throughout Europe,” Basescu said.
Romania Report
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