CONTROVERSY OVER MFA OFFICIAL'S STATEMENT ON USE

C O N F I D E N T I A L SECTION 01 OF 02 BUCHAREST 000408

SIPDIS

SIPDIS

STATE FOR EUR/NCE - WSILKWORTH
STATE ALSO FOR PM - RLOFTIS

E.O. 12958: DECL: 03/09/2016
TAGS: PGOV PREL MOPS MARR SOCI RO
SUBJECT: CONTROVERSY OVER MFA OFFICIAL'S STATEMENT ON USE
OF SHARED MILITARY FACILITIES


Classified By: Ambassador Nicholas Taubman
for Reasons 1.4 (a),(b) and (d)


1. (SBU) In a response to a question, MFA State Secretary
Teodor Baconschi stated during a March 7 Senate joint Foreign
Policy and Defense Committee hearing that the U.S.-Romanian
Defense Cooperation Agreement (DCA) could permit U.S. forces
to launch a military operation from Romanian territory
without consulting Romania. Several Bucharest-based national
daily newspapers gave prominent coverage March 8 to
Baconschi's (out of context) remark, with one leading
newspaper asserting that "the U.S. will be able to launch
attacks against any country from our territory without even
informing Bucharest."


2. (C) Baconschi, during a meeting a few hours after his
testimony with visiting Deputy Assistant Secretary Mark
Pekala, did not explicitly reference this statement.
Although he took note of the fact that Romanian senators
would call the Foreign and Defense Ministers to testify, he
made it clear he remained "optimistic" the Senate would
ratify the agreement soon and stressed that a bipartisan
parliamentary consensus supports rapid ratification. Earlier
the same day before the Senate's hearing, center-left Social
Democratic Party (PSD) President and Senate Foreign Policy
Committee President Mircea Geoana told the Ambassador and DAS
Pekala that the DCA would pass "smoothly" through the
Senate's joint Foreign Policy and Defense Committee, but
would face more "intense debate" when the Senate as a whole
considered ratification. Geoana predicted the Senate would
ratify the DCA, despite likely opposition by "extremist"
elements. Senate Defense Committee President George-Cristian
Maior, whom Geoana described during the meeting as the PSD's
"shadow Defense Minister," nodded his assent.


3. (SBU) DAS Pekala participated in a March 8 press
roundtable with representatives of leading newspapers and
press organizations in which he underscored the strength of
the U.S.-Romanian alliance; emphasized it was based on
consultation and cooperation, not unilateral action; and,
that the DCA "fully respects Romanian law" and Romanian
sovereignty and was subject to the United Nations charter and
other international agreements. DAS Pekala's statements
received wide coverage in the March 9 press, with one widely
read daily expressing the general tone of reporting with the
front-page headline "The U.S. Promises to Consult Bucharest."
One prominent editorialist expressed the hope, in an
editorial generally critical of the agreement, that the U.S.
would, "at least from a military point of view, treat us if
not equally, at least with some consideration."


4. (C) During a March 8 lunch meeting with DAS Pekala and
DCM, President Basescu's Domestic Policy Counselor Claudiu
Saftoiu expressed concern about the brouhaha in the press
following Baconschi's statement and stated that the GOR was
worried about opposition to the DCA's ratification. He
underscored that the Embassy "should do something very
visible" to counter the impact of Baconschi's remarks. The
next day, an MFA official told DCM that Saftoiu had tasked
the Foreign Ministry to prepare an official statement. The
Embassy shared points with the MFA for use in preparing this
statement and the draft MFA press release, slated for likely
release March 9, includes key points provided by the Embassy.
It stresses that the DCA provides for "full respect for the
sovereignty of each party...the United Nations charter...and
international obligations." The draft statement also notes
that the DCA is based upon "reciprocal consultation, not
unilateral action" and that the military facilities "remain
the property of the Romanian state, respective facilities
will be used by (the U.S.) on the basis of prior
understanding with the Romanian authorities."


5. (C) Comment. Early indications are that DAS Pekala's
March 8 press roundtable provided the necessary antidote to
the inflammatory reporting in the press the same day - and
March 9 press reports struck a balanced tone, emphasizing the
U.S. commitment to consultation with Romania. In post's
view, neither Baconschi's statement nor the continuing public
affairs hangover of the Teo Peter case appear to have left
the DCA's ratification in jeopardy. Geoana, who as Foreign
Minister under the former government repeatedly expressed his
strong support for a Defense Cooperation Agreement with the
U.S., accurately highlighted the abiding bipartisan support
for the agreement's ratification. Romanians -- not just the
political elites -- remain in favor of a strong partnership
between the U.S. and Romania, although as Basescu's advisor

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reminded Pekala, Romanian popular support could not be taken
for granted. "You Americans have the best public relations
in the world," Saftoiu commented, "but you need to do more of
it here." End Comment.


6. (U) AmEmbassy Bucharest's reporting telegrams are
available on the Bucharest SIPRNet website:
www.state.sgov.gov/eur/Bucharest
TAUBMAN