BUCHAREST, Romania – Jan. 12 – President Traian Basescu on Friday said that Romania supports Albania and the former Yugoslav republics of Macedonia and Croatia in their joining NATO, after meeting the alliance’s Secretary General months ahead of a summit in the Bucharest capital.
“Romania unreservedly supports (NATO) enlargement with Croatia, Macedonia and Albania,” said Basescu adding that “Beyond enlargement, the summit wants to bring Serbia, Bosnia and Montenegro closer to the alliance.”
Basescu was echoing comments made by NATO Secretary General Jaap de Hoop Scheffer on Thursday who said that the 27 allies would decide in the coming weeks whether to invite Croatia, Albania and Macedonia to join NATO at the summit in Bucharest.
He also said that the alliance is considering building closer ties with Ukraine, Georgia, Serbia and Bosnia.
De Hoop Scheffer was in Bucharest for one day to oversee preparations for the April 2-4 summit, which President George W. Bush and the government leaders of other NATO countries will attend. It will be the largest summit in the alliance’s history.
Romania, a NATO member since 2004, has some 500 soldiers in NATO missions in Afghanistan and 80 soldiers in Kosovo. There are also about 400 soldiers in Iraq.
