Romania Calls On NATO To Approve Pre-Membership Request For Georgia, Ukraine

Bucharest, Romania (AHN) - Romania has called on the members of NATO to grant Ukraine and Georgia membership into the strategic alliance. Romanian President Traian Basescu denied claims that giving the two former Soviet republics pre-membership status would provoke further conflict with Russia.

"They are sovereign states which have opted for their own solutions," Basescus said according to the International Herald Tribune (IHT).

Basescu also urged NATO to strengthen its foreign cooperation with Russia, saying the former communist country plays a major role in achieving security in the region and in fighting global terror.

"For us Russia is a partner that guarantees regional stability," Basescus explained.

Moscow has strongly opposed the membership bids. Russian President-elect Dmitry Medvedev told the BBC that Moscow "not happy about the situation," saying the membership bids of the two countries is "extremely troublesome for the existing structure of European security."