In a speech held, on Thursday, at the German Marshall Fund headquarters in Bruselles, president Traian Basescu stated that time has come for Albania, Macedonia and Croatia to join Romania, Bulgaria, Greece and Turkey on the NATO South Eastern flank. At the end of his intervention, the Romanian President answered a few questions from the press, occasion with which he stated that, in his opinion, the declaration of independence of the Kosovo Province in the absence of a resolution issued by the Council of Security of through a solution other than the result of negotiations between Belgrad and Pristina is a bad sign for the countries in the Western Balkans having ethnic minorities. According to Basescu this sign is bad, because it leaves room for interpretation and it doesn’t have a legal justification.
Answering a question, the President stated he is not worried that Romania’s position might be “dangerously close” to the one of Russia with regards to the statute of Kosovo. He added that he will be worried about Romania’s position only when it will find itself in contradiction with the International Right provisions.
MAP for Georgia and Ukraine
Asked what solution should be adopted on the NATO Summit on the Georgia and Ukraine matter, Basescu stated that now it is the appropriate time for the two countries to receive the MAP (Membership Action Plan), after which they will receive the membership when they fulfill the necessary conditions.
Asked about the possible presence of Vladimir Putin at Bucharest on the occasion of the NATO Summit, the Romanian head of state said that any Russian leader is welcome at Bucharest, but that Romania’s priorities are the NATO allies and partners. “After all, this is a NATO Summit, and it is Russia’s decision to give course or not to the invitation to attend the NATO Summit in Bucharest”, said Traian Basescu.
