USAREUR MEETING WITH ROMANIAN DEFENSE MINISTER

C O N F I D E N T I A L SECTION 01 OF 02 BUCHAREST 001229

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SIPDIS

STATE FOR EUR/NCE

E.O. 12958: DECL: 10/31/17
TAGS: PREL PGOV MARR MOPS RO
SUBJECT: USAREUR MEETING WITH ROMANIAN DEFENSE MINISTER

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


1. (C) USAREUR Commanding General McKiernan accompanied by
Ambassador met October 31 with Romanian Defense Minister
Teodor Melescanu. Melescanu prefaced the meeting by
expressing his appreciation for the excellent bilateral ties
between the two nations, boasting that the partnership
between Romania and the United States was the "most solid and
reliable" within the NATO Alliance. He added that he
appreciated USG support for Romania's hosting the upcoming
2008 NATO Summit. Melescanu stressed that the summit had
widespread support from the government and the Romanian
public, remarked that he was depending on help from the USG
to ensure the summit's success, and evinced the hope that the
event would cast a "clear light" for NATO's way forward.


2. (C) Melescanu also voiced his appreciation for bilateral
military engagement in assuring the transformation of the
Romanian military, noting that it was a "good instrument" for
this purpose. In a brief overview of military reform efforts
in Romania, the MOD said that many aspects of defense reform
had already been accomplished, including the introduction of
an all-volunteer military. He said that the military had
fulfilled its recruitment quotas with no major problems to
date and added that the next challenge was in ensuring that
the downsizing of Romania's military was accompanied by
upgrade in training and equipment. Given that the land
forces would bear the brunt of Romania's new military
commitments, their acquisitions--in areas including armored
personnel carriers and other transport platforms--would
receive priority in the next budget cycle. Melescanu
provided assurances that his government was committed to
keeping Romanian defense spending above the 2 percent of GDP
mark, adding that his personal preference was that Romania
stick to this defense spending target for the next decade.


3. (C) In a reference to the political costs of Romanian
military deployments in Iraq and Afghanistan, Melescanu
remarked that while every death of a soldier was a tragedy
for the soldier's family and community, the level of
casualties from overseas operations were still low enough
that he did not forsee any "serious political problem" in
fulfilling Romania's military commitments abroad. He
provided assurances that Romanian military deployments abroad
would continue to get the "full support" of Romania's
government in the future.


4. (C) General McKiernan expressed appreciation for
Romania's contributions in Iraq, Afghanistan, and Kosovo, and
echoed MOD Melescanu's remarks by noting that he considered
Romania among America's very closest allies worldwide. He
underscored, however, that we would be in a period of
persistent conflict for many years to come, making resourcing
land forces a continuing priority. In a reference to Defense
Secretary Gates' comments at the October 25 Conference of

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European Armies in Heidelberg, McKiernan noted the need for
greater alliance efforts to ISAF, noting that a Romanian
contribution of a brigade headquarters in Zabul would be a
very good enabler for forces already in place.


5. (C) Finally, General McKiernan noted that the primary
reason for his visit was to conduct an after-action review of
the Joint Task Force East Proof-of-Principle exercise with
his Romanian counterparts. He noted that the exercise had
validated its key objectives and had made a very good start
in preparing the groundwork for an enduring training rotation
for years to come. He also underscored the important role
that the joint training played in accelerating the ongoing
transformation of both the U.S. and Romanian militaries, and
concluded that the exercise portended a very positive future
for bilateral cooperation between our two militaries.
Melescanu echoed the General's remarks about the
transformational value of joint training, remarking that the
Romanian military had gained immensely from the exercise and
was eager to make the best use of future opportunities. The
Minister also expressed his willingness to overcome any
problems or impediments of a legal or practical nature, and
said that the exercises demonstrated that there had been
absolutely "no problems" at the level of Romanian public
opinion, as they had underscored once again that U.S. forces
were welcome guests in Romania. Melescanu also agreed that
future exercises might usefully be opened up to include the
participation of other countries in the Black Sea region.


6. (C) General McKiernan met subsequently with Romanian
Chief of the Land Forces, Lt.Gen. Frunzeti, to discuss the
future way ahead for JTF-E. He stressed the importance of
increasing the level of training to include making the effort
more joint and multinational. During the discussions,

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initial groundwork was laid for a follow-on exercise from
June to July 2008 at Mihail Koganiceanu Air Base.


7. (C) Comment: From the Embassy's perspective, the JTF-E
Proof-of-Principle exercise was highly successful on every
count. Our strong bilateral mil-to-mil relations remain a
standout including at times when messy politics and bitter
political rivalries have been foremost in the news. The
exercise was the first major test of the arrangements worked
out bilaterally for the stationing of U.S. military forces in
Romania under the bilateral defense cooperation agreement
signed by the Secretary of State in December 2005. The
success of JTF-E also underscores that the U.S.-Romanian
strategic partnership remains largely above politics and that
representatives from mainstream political parties remain
cognizant of the importance of Romania continuing to fulfill
its international commitments in such areas as Iraq,
Afghanistan, and the Western Balkans. As noted by MOD
Melescanu and other Romanian interlocutors--both uniformed
and civilian--the exercise helped to cement bilateral
military cooperation and served as an accelerant for the
ongoing transformation of Romania's military. From a public
diplomacy and PR standpoint, it received close scrutiny from
every sector of Romanian media, and came through with almost
uniform high marks. Moreover, in a region that is one of the
poorest in Romania, JTF-E efforts at civil-military outreach,
including the rebuilding of clinics and other construction
projects also received accolades from local communities. All
told, the exercise enhanced the already strong support we
have in a country that is already notable for its
pro-American sentiment, and has helped set the stage for
closer bilateral cooperation in the future. End Comment.

TAUBMAN