CRISISBOOM

September 13, 2011

The United States and Romania have signed an agreement to base antimissile interceptors in Romania under a NATO missile-defense plan that has caused friction with Russia.U.S. Secretary of State Hillary Clinton signed the agreement with Romanian Foreign Minister Teodor Baconschi.The interceptor missiles are expected to be deployed at a Romanian air-force base in around four years.The Romania deal is part of a larger NATO missile-defense plan for Europe.

Russia has agreed to cooperate on the initiative but disagrees over its implementation, saying it should be a single integrated shield rather than two separate defense systems.

Turkey said recently it had reached agreement on the deployment of a radar on its territory as part of NATO’s missile-defense system.