Why Romania Is Becoming More Important to the US [View all]

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http://watchingamerica.com/News/224971/why-romania-is-becoming-more-important-to-the-us/



Given that the relationship between Washington and its allies is deteriorating, and given the way the Obama administration is handling international relationships, Romania is becoming more and more important to the U.S.

Why Romania Is Becoming More Important to the US
Evenimentul Zilei, Romania
By Silviu Sergiu
Translated By Andreea Muntean
24 October 2013
Edited by Kyrstie Lane

U.S. interest in efficiently fighting and eradicating terrorist cells in the Middle East has meant consolidating Washington’s influence in southeast Europe. By accepting Romania and Bulgaria as member countries of NATO, the U.S., along with Turkey, has created a very influential geostrategic pivot in the area, set toward the Middle East. Unfortunately for Washington, this pivot has been shaky lately.

The latest developments in the area consolidate Romania’s position as America’s strategic ally. In order to understand this favorable context, of which our country should take advantage, we should first look at the latest developments in international politics, especially in southeast Europe and the Middle East.

In Bulgaria, the American company Chevron was forced to abandon its plans for shale gas exploitation. It was a major win for Russia, which has been a declared opponent of shale gas. Moscow wants to postpone the exploitation of this unconventional gas for at least five years to avoid a drastic cut in gas prices worldwide, which ultimately could be a fatal blow to a Russian economy that is mainly based on harnessing natural resources. At the moment, the low demand for gas is caused by the economic crisis, but the Russians are hopeful that in five years time Asian countries like China and the Asian Tigers will start to consume more than they do now and the price of gas will stay high.

The relationships between the U.S., Turkey and Saudi Arabia have been deteriorating lately. It is an unpleasant situation for Washington because during the last two decades the two countries have represented two major bulwarks in the fight against anti-American, fundamentalist Islamic regimes in the Middle East.