Romania, U.S. Agree On Missile-Shield Site

Romanian President Traian Basescu (file photo)

President Traian Basescu says that Romania and the United States have agreed to deploy elements of a future missile-defense shield at a southern base in Romania.

Basescu said in a televised address that the antimissile shield would be deployed at Deveselu, about 30 kilometers from the Bulgarian border.

The airbase, which will remain under Romanian command, will host an average of 200 U.S. troops and up to a maximum of 500.

Basescu stressed that the shield was not directed against Russia.

Romania and the United States have been negotiating for more than a year on the deployment of ballistic-missile interceptors, which should be operational by 2015.

compiled from agency reports