August 3, 2006

I had the honor to accompany President Basescu to Washington on his recent visit and I wish to give a short report to the people of Romania about the trip. The obvious highlight was the meeting between President Basescu and President Bush at the White House. I was privileged to sit in on this meeting and I was impressed by the excellent rapport between the two presidents, and the frank and open way they exchanged points of view. They had a serious exchange regarding regional issues, the visa requirement for Romanian citizens, and the progress being made in Iraq and Afghanistan. President Bush expressed the gratitude of the United States for the valuable contribution being made by the Romanian troops in those two countries. I should point out that my predecessor in Romania, J.D. Crouch, also attended the meeting in his current capacity as Deputy National Security Advisor to the President.

I also had the opportunity to be present at President Basescu’s meeting with Secretary of Defense Donald Rumsfeld. Again there was a very open exchange regarding the situation in Iraq and Afghanistan, as well as the planned joint military facilities that will be set up in Romania. Secretary Rumsfeld, who personally visited Mihail Kogalniceanu Air Base two years ago, is keenly interested the progress being made on the military facilities issue.

Obviously everyone participating in the visit on both sides was concerned with the ongoing conflict between Israel and the Hezbollah in the Middle East. This was a major point of discussion in all the meetings I attended. President Bush grieves the loss of innocent life in both Lebanon and Israel. The United States is doing its utmost to see that emergency aid gets to the people who need it in Lebanon. The United States is also urgently seeking a solution to the conflict. To that end the United States has called on the United Nations Security Council to work towards a comprehensive, three-part settlement: a cease-fire, political principles for a long term settlement, and the authorization of an international force to support the Lebanese army in keeping the peace. As Secretary of State Rice has said: "Only by achieving both [an urgent cease fire and long term settlement] will the Lebanese people finally be able to control their country and their future, and the people of Israel finally will be able to live free from the threat of attack from terrorist groups in Lebanon."

President Bush is a man who greatly values personal contact in his relations with foreign leaders and he and President Basescu have clearly established a firm basis for future cooperation, grounded in the basic belief of Romanians and Americans in the support of freedom and democracy in the world.

Nicholas F. Taubman

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3 August 2006

DECLARATIA AMBASADORULUI STATELOR UNITE LA BUCURESTI, NICHOLAS TAUBMAN, CU PRIVIRE LA VIZITA PRESEDINTELUI TRAIAN BASESCU LA WASHINGTON

Am avut onoarea sa-l insotesc pe Presedintele Basescu la Washington cu prilejul vizitei domniei sale in Statele Unite si doresc sa transmit poporului roman un scurt raport cu privire la aceasta vizita. Punctul culminant a fost, in mod evident, intalnirea de la Casa Alba dintre Presedintele Basescu si Presedintele Bush. Am avut privilegiul de a participa la aceasta intalnire si am fost impresionat de relatia excelenta dintre cei doi presedinti si de modul onest si deschis in care au facut schimb de opinii. Cei doi oficiali au discutat despre chestiuni regionale, despre cerintele pentru viza impuse cetatenilor romani si despre progresul din Irak si Afganistan. Presedintele Bush a exprimat recunostinta Statelor Unite pentru contributia trupelor romane desfasurate in cele doua tari. Trebuie sa subliniez faptul ca predecesorul meu in Romania, J.D. Crouch, a participat, de asemenea, la intalnire, in calitate de Consilier Adjunct pe Probleme de Securitate Nationala al Presedintelui Bush.

De asemenea, am avut ocazia de a participa la intalnirea Presedintelui Basescu cu Secretarul Apararii, Donald Rumsfeld. Aceasta intalnire a reprezentat un alt schimb de opinii privind situatia din Irak si Afganistan, precum si despre facilitatile militare comune care vor fi stabilite in Romania. Secretarul Rumsfeld, care a vizitat personal Baza Aeriana de la Mihail Kogalniceanu in urma cu doi ani, este foarte interesat de progresul inregistrat in aceasta privinta.

Evident, toti participantii ambelor parti au fost preocupati de conflictul dintre Israel si Hezbollah, in Orientul Mijlociu. Acesta a fost un subiect de discutie extrem de important in cadrul tuturor intalnirilor la care am participat. Presedintele Bush deplange pierderea de vieti nevinovate, atat in Liban cat si in Israel. Statele Unite depun toate eforturile pentru ca ajutorul de urgenta sa ajunga la cei care au nevoie de el in Liban. De asemenea, Statele Unite cauta rapid o solutie pentru acest conflict. In acest sens, Statele Unite au cerut Consiliului de Securitate al ONU sa gaseasca la o solutie cuprinzatoare, care sa includa trei aspecte: incetarea focului, principii politice pentru o pace pe termen lung si autorizarea unei forte internationale care sa sprijine armata libaneza in procesul de mentinere a pacii. Asa cum a spus si Secretarul de Stat Condoleezza Rice, “numai prin realizarea acestor doua deziderate [incetarea focului si pacea durabila] va putea poporul libanez sa-si controleze, in sfarsit, tara si viitorul, iar poporul israelian va putea sa traiasca fara teama unei amenintari din partea grupurilor teroriste din Liban”.

Presedintele Bush pune foarte mare pret pe contactul personal in relatiile sale cu liderii straini; domnia sa si Presedintele Basescu au stabilit o baza ferma pentru cooperarea viitoare, plecand de la credinta de baza ca romanii si americanii sprijina libertatea si democratia in lume.

Nicholas F. Taubman
Ambasadorul Statelor Unite ale Americii la Bucuresti