AGENCE FRANCE-PRESSE,
BRUSSELS: Russia has “no reason” to worry about the opening of a new US military base in the former Soviet state of Romania, a senior US official said here on Wednesday.
“The agreement signed yesterday (Tuesday) is not only completely consistent with CFE obligations, it is also consistent with every declaration and every understanding that NATO has ever made with Russia,” said the official, who is accompanying US Secretary of State Condoleezza Rice during her European tour.
“It is well within that margin of comprehension, so there is no basis for Russia to be concerned”.
Russia has threatened to withdraw from the Conventional Armed Forces in Europe Treaty (CFE) as American forces move closer to its borders.
Rice on Tuesday signed a historic agreement with Romania to establish permanent US military bases in the country, the first ever in a former Warsaw Pact nation.
The centre for the so-called Eastern European Task Force (EETAF) will be at the air base near Constanta on the Romanian Black Sea coast, said a State Department official who asked not to be named.
The expected 1,500-strong US force will also use three other sites in Romania — Smardan training range, Babadag training area and Cincu training range.
