The Minister of National Defence, Mircea Dusa, had an official meeting with US and NATO officials on Monday, 28 October, prior to the ceremony marking the beginning of the main construction work at the Missile Defence Facility at Deveselu.

Minister Dusa said that today was an especially important day that marks the beginning of a new stage the final one in the process of rendering operational Deveselu Base'.

'The US-Romanian Strategic Partnership is one of the fundamental action lines for our foreign and defence policies. We are grateful for the major support the USA offered in terms of bilateral military cooperation, a relation we consider to be one based on trust', the defence minister pointed out.

In turn, Dr. James Miller, US Principal Deputy Undersecretary for Defense Policy, thanked Romania for the important role it assumed in the Strategic Partnership.

At the end of the meeting, the defence minister awarded Dr. James Miller the highest distinction of the Ministry of National Defence, the Emblem of Honor of the Romanian Armed Forces, with peace insignia, 'as a token of our high appreciation for the remarkable contribution to the advance of the implementation process of the Agreement between Romania and the United States of America on the Deployment of the United States Ballistic Missile Defense System in Romania' as well as a symbolic gift, namely a sword.

At the same time, Minister Dusa offered a symbolic gift to Frank Rose, US Deputy Assistant Secretary of State for Space and Defense Policy as well.

The meeting at the Ministry of National Defence was also attended by Ambassador Alexander Vershbow, NATO Deputy Secretary General and Ambassador Sorin Ducaru, Assistant Secretary General for Emerging Security Challenges.

MoND Press Office