AGERPRES special correspondent Doroteea Purcarea reports: Romania's Prime Minister Dacian Ciolos said on Tuesday that Romania has become, after the inauguration of a missile shield at Deveselu, a security provider, not just a security consumer.
"The main goal of this visit [to the US] was to confirm Romania's interest in strengthening cooperation under the strategic partnership with the US, which has already delivered results. Therefore there are not only declarative items. (...) We have already got results as far as security and defence cooperation is concerned. The missile defence shield at Deveselu has been recently put into operation, which is an important element not only for Romania and the US, but hopefully also for the NATO defence system in this region. (...) We have become security providers, not only security consumers," Ciolos said at a meeting with members of the Romanian community in the Washington DC area.
He mentioned that, "starting from this experience we already have and from a mutual trust we already have," he wanted this visit to the US to also boost economic cooperation.
"I wanted this visit to also boost a more intense cooperation on the economic dimension, because, in the end, the best way to keep peace and stability is to encourage prosperity, and prosperity means economic development, investment," said Ciolos.
Over 150 persons participated in the meeting hosted by Romania's Embassy in Washington.
The meeting began with the national anthems of the two countries and a speech delivered by Romania's Ambassador to the US George Cristian Maior.