United States Secretary of State, Hillary Rodham Clinton, and Romania’s Foreign Minister Teodor Baconschi, have signed the Agreement between the Government of the United States of America and the Government of Romania on the Deployment of the Ballistic Missile Defense System in Romania.

This Agreement calls for the establishment and operation of a U.S. land-based SM-3 ballistic missile defense (BMD) system in Romania. The deployment to Romania is anticipated to occur in the 2015 timeframe as part of the second phase of the European Phased Adaptive Approach (EPAA). In addition to deepening the bilateral strategic relationship between our two countries, cooperation in this area will make a substantial contribution to NATO’s collective security and will be an integral part of a NATO missile defense capability.

The EPAA will provide protection of NATO European territories and populations, including Romania, and augment protection of the United States. This Agreement is an important step in our efforts to protect from the growing threat posed by the proliferation of ballistic missiles of increasingly greater ranges, lethality, and sophistication, and potentially armed with weapons of mass destruction. The BMD interceptor site in Romania will provide a defensive capability to protect Europe and the United States against ballistic missiles launched from the Middle East.

Upon ratification by the Romanian Parliament and entry into force, the ballistic missile defense agreement will allow the United States to construct, maintain, and operate a facility encompassing the land-based SM-3 ballistic missile defense system.

In May 2011, the United States and Romania jointly selected the Deveselu Air Base near Caracal, Romania, to host a U.S. Ballistic Missile Defense System which employs the SM-3 interceptor (also referred to as the “Aegis Ashore System”). The United States will provide the Romanian Government with situational awareness into operations at the ballistic missile defense facility, which includes receiving information on ballistic missiles tracked by the missile defense system and the status of the U.S. missile defense of Europe.