US and Romanian presidents insist on NATO enlargement

US President George W. Bush and Romanian President Traian Basescu yesterday had a bilateral meeting in Neptun (on the Black Sea coast), a few hours before the start of the NATO summit in Bucharest. Besides the issues that concern the bilateral relations (such as the visa issue for Romanians that travel to the US), the two presidents insisted – during a joint press conference, on the enlargement of the North-Atlantic Alliance, especially the inclusion of Ukraine and Georgia, which Russia adamantly refuses to agree to. However, as Traian Basescu put it, “no nation has the right to veto” against the wish of another to act as it sees fit for its own good. This is exactly how George W. Bush sees it, who will try to persuade the more reluctant European partners to agree to starting talks with Ukraine and Georgia (Russia’s neighbours) in view of their NATO accession at a later date. The expansion was not directed against Russia, Bush said, insisting that both parties – the NATO countries and Russia, are threatened by the same dangers: terrorism, armament, drug and people trafficking. Another, hardly surprising, issue that was debated was Black Sea security – as Traian Basescu is known to have turned the Black Sea issue into one of the central points of his foreign policy. The Black Sea is, as Basescu sees it, a place that needs to be secured, because it is a node for any kind of traffic (arms, drugs, and people). Bush has promised US support for the region.