Romania and the United States have agreed to deploy elements of a future missile defense shield at Deveselu airbase, in southern Romania, president Traian Basescu said Tuesday.
"We have decided that the anti-missile shield will be deployed at the former airbase at Deveselu, in Olt county," Basescu said in televised address.
The airbase, which will remain under Romanian command, will host an average of 200 US troops and up to a maximum of 500.
Romania and the United States have been negotiating for more than a year on the deployment of ballistic missile interceptors, which should be operational by 2015.
"This is the highest level of security Romania can attain," Basescu said, stressing that the shield was not directed against Russia.
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