Mihail Kogălniceanu

Two UK RAF (Royal Air Force) Typhoon fighter jets have been launched today from the "Mihail Kogălniceanu" (MK) Air Base near Constanța (Black Sea) in response to a suspect Russian airplane above the Black Sea that came close to the NATO airspace.

Secretary of State for Strategic Affairs Daniel Ionita on Sunday received a delegation of Republican and Democrat representatives of the U.S. Congress, headed by Senator James Inhofe, on which occasion the Romanian dignitary requested their support for the inclusion of Romania in the Visa Waiver programme.

Photo credit: (c) Simion MECHNO /AGERPRES PHOTO

National Defence Minister Mircea Dusa in a meeting with US Embassy Charge d'Affairs Dean Thompson on Wednesday said that the situation in Ukraine represents 'a reason to worry both for NATO and for Romania, as ally state.'

Besides the situation in Ukraine, the two officials also talked about the development of the situation in the Middle East.

US Vice-President Joe Biden on Tuesday arrived in Romania to reassure leaders of America’s continuing commitment in the face of Russia’s growing military assertiveness.

“It’s an obligation for us to stay close to you so, in the name of the US President, I should say, you can count on us,” Biden said shortly after he arrived in Bucharest.

US Vice-President Joe Biden is to visit Bucharest for talks with Romanian leaders on the volatile situation in Ukraine, among other matters.

President Traian Basescu on Monday said he had invited Biden to Romania, but declined to specify the timing of the visit.

The military exercise, codenamed “Vector 2014”, is to end later this week and will involve some 1,600 naval personnel, the Romanian Defence Ministry confirmed on Monday.

“The exercise is organized annually and aims at training naval structures for their missions. It was planned around one year ago,” the ministry said.

“Romania is extremely concerned over developments in neighboring Ukraine, which have a serious impact on international security. In such a context, we have concrete expectations of a redeployment and an eastward repositioning of NATO's naval, air and ground forces," Romanian Foreign Minister, Titus Corlatean, said on Thursday.