





Romania president Traian Basescu: It is impossible to imagine how the Central and Eastern Europe would have looked like without the NATO enlargement
Basescu's main statements:
- Joining NATO was the first sign of our progressive re-integration of our country, after 1989;
- NATO opened its gates in a moment of severe economic crisis of our country;
- The merit for Romania being a member of the alliance belongs equally to all political forces that governed. The parties didn't transform the accession in a political issue;
- The accession project was drawn a decade ago. The process was accelerated after 1997. Joining the organization was a boost for the administration and the political class coherence;
- Belonging in NATO is more than a security guarantee;
- It is almost impossible now to imagine how the Central and Eastern Europe would have looked like without joining the organization;
- We are the border of the organization, a position we wish to exploit by building bridges towards the neighboring states;
- We honor those who lost their lives in NATO operations.