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http://www.ptd.net/webnews/wed/cp/Qus-nato-reax.RmeR_DM4.html Speculation in eastern Europe on US military move to the region -"If Romania and Bulgaria are seen as important countries from a geopolitical standpoint, that would coincide with our analysis about the role that Romania could play as a future member of NATO." -In Hungary, plans have been discussed concerning "expanding the (southern) Taszar base linked with Balkans peacekeeping, creating another military base close to an airport or by renting an airbase, and building an army hospital or recreation centre, as well as emergency supply depots," Nepszabadsag said without identifying its sources. -In Bulgaria, the Dnevnik newspaper quoted defense ministry sources saying the government could propose the Americans use military airports in Dobritch in the northeast and in Kroumovo in the south, as well as the Atia base on the Black Sea in the east, to host US forces that are currently in Germany. -[P]oland's largest daily, Gazeta Wyborcza, said Washington had told Berlin several days ago that it would be moving to Poland and the Czech Republic some of the 70,000 US soldiers stationed in Germany. It said the first units would be arriving within a few months to get the new bases ready for those who would come, the newspaper said citing well-informed sources in the Pentagon. BUDAPEST, March 4 (AFP) - Official reaction was muted in eastern Europe Tuesday after NATO's European commmander said US bases could be moved eastwards from Germany into the region, as the press speculated where US troops could be stationed. NATO commander General James Jones said Monday he was in intensive talks with Alliance member countries about overhauling the US military base strategy, including shifting resources to new members in the East. But the US state department said Monday in Washington that no formal proposals had yet been made. In one of the rare official reactions, Romanian Foreign Minister Mircea Geoana said deploying US troops in eastern Europe would help "Romania play a role as a future member of NATO." Romania, as well as its neighbor Bulgaria, is expected to join NATO in 2004. "If Romania and Bulgaria are seen as important countries from a geopolitical standpoint, that would coincide with our analysis about the role that Romania could play as a future member of NATO," Geoana said. He said such a change would be a sign of an evolution from the strategy of massive and permanent bases to one of more flexible deployments to "adapt the strategy of NATO to the challenges of the 21st century." The Hungarian newspaper Nepszabadsag on Tuesday quoted what it said were "Atlantic officials from Brussels" as saying the United States is having "intensive talks" with its eastern European partners on a new network of bases. The talks are being conducted both on a bilateral basis between the United States and the states involved, and within the NATO framework, Nepszabadsag said. In Hungary, plans have been discussed concerning "expanding the (southern) Taszar base linked with Balkans peacekeeping, creating another military base close to an airport or by renting an airbase, and building an army hospital or recreation centre, as well as emergency supply depots," Nepszabadsag said without identifying its sources. "The American side informed Hungary that it wanted to accelerate working out the plans and starting their implementation," Nepszabadsag said. In Bulgaria, the Dnevnik newspaper quoted defense ministry sources saying the government could propose the Americans use military airports in Dobritch in the northeast and in Kroumovo in the south, as well as the Atia base on the Black Sea in the east, to host US forces that are currently in Germany. In Warsaw, a Polish defense ministry spokesman said talk of moving US military bases from Germany to Poland was "pure speculation." Colonel Eugeniusz Mleczak said no such discussions were taking place between Washington and Warsaw. But Poland's largest daily, Gazeta Wyborcza, said Washington had told Berlin several days ago that it would be moving to Poland and the Czech Republic some of the 70,000 US soldiers stationed in Germany. It said the first units would be arriving within a few months to get the new bases ready for those who would come, the newspaper said citing well-informed sources in the Pentagon. In Prague, Czech government officials refused to comment. __________________________________________________ Do you Yahoo!? Yahoo! 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