On the agenda of the NATO summit in Riga, Latvia, there are many foreign affairs issues of Romania's, to the satisfaction of Bucharest authorities. This is what the President of Romania Traian Basescu said yesterday before taking the plane for the capital city of Latvia. The Romanian official said the presidents and prime ministers to attend this reunion were to debate on issues related to the NATO strategy for Western Balkans states and the NATO enlargement towards this region, a matter Romania raised many a time. On the agenda there are more topics such as the relations between Ukraine and NATO, between Georgia and NATO and not last energy security matters. Basescu added: "I would also list the NATO operations in Kosovo and Afghanistan, as well as the operations supporting peace in Iraq. The agenda is fully in keeping with Romania's priorities. I can't say Romania's opinion didn't matter for the drawing of the agenda." The President added the Riga summit attendants were also to discuss the reform of NATO partnerships in relation to the tendency to have partnership beyond the borders of the Alliance. The Romanian official explained: "Romania is going to support the need for NATO partnerships when partner states participate in NATO operations. I mean the partnerships with Japan, Australia, New Zealand and many other states. The idea is how should they extend these partnership that don't imply the respective states should become NATO members." The Romanian official's delegation is made up of the foreign minister Mihai-Razvan Ungureanu, the defense minister Sorin Frunzaverde, presidency advisers Sergiu Medar, Anca Ilinoiu and Adriana Saftoiu, as well as more authorities.

Anca HRIBAN