Romania is in dialogue with the United States about costs the country could cover to secure the presence of American troops, Foreign Minister Dan Neculăescu said on TVR Info. He said Romania has made an offer to the American side and that there are no final decisions.
Neculăescu said he could not give further details while the talks continue, and he would not comment on how large the costs might be or where they would come from. He said Romania has decided at national level that a United States presence is a major strategic interest, and that the offer is still being discussed with the American side. He added that he did not want to go into details that have probably not even been settled.
Asked about a possible withdrawal of American troops stationed in Romania, the minister said he could not predict something that has not happened yet. He said Romania’s relationship with the United States is very good on security. Contacts are very good, he said, and presidential adviser for national security and foreign policy Marius Lazurca is in the United States this week to meet important figures in the American administration. Lazurca had earlier visited NATO, where Romanian officials also held contacts. Neculăescu described the dialogue as efficient.
The minister said Romania can offer the United States stability in the region and that the country has a great deal to put forward. He said he believes the United States will be receptive to those arguments, while the final decision remains to be seen, and that he is optimistic.
According to Bloomberg, Romania is offering to cover part of the expenses the United States currently bears to keep troops on Romanian territory.
President Nicușor Dan said on 23 September, during a visit to the United States, that Romania had answered all the technical questions from American officials reviewing the US military presence in Europe. He said Romania had also offered to share the cost of these operations in some way and was waiting for a response from the American administration while the dialogue continued.