U.S. Vice President Kamala Harris will visit Romania on March 11 over Russia’s invasion of Ukraine. U.S. officials will meet Romanian President Klaus Johannes in Bucharest at 2 p.m. local time. According to an official White House press release, the U.S. Vice President’s visit to Romania aims to strengthen Romania’s ties with the U.S. in response to unprovoked and unwarranted Russian aggression.
Vice President Kamala Harris will travel to Warsaw, Poland and Bucharest, Romania on March 9-11. Her visit will demonstrate the strength and unity of the NATO alliance and US support for NATO’s East Side allies in the face of Russian aggression.
White House statement
According to Valahia News, Kamala Harris will meet with Romanian Prime Minister Nicola Ciuca and other European NATO leaders to discuss Russia’s invasion of Ukraine. Security protocols for the arrival of the U.S. vice president are strict, and authorities advise residents to avoid the city centre. Police also advised against driving on Romania’s national road DN1, which connects Bucharest to the northwest of the country, between 12:00 and 15:00 local time on March 11.
The authorities involved have in view for the instituted security measures to interfere as little as possible with the population’s daily activities. Thus, for participants in traffic, there will be measures to improve the flow of traffic and, in this context, the Bucharest Road Police Brigade requests drivers respect the signals and indications of policemen. Drivers are recommended that on Friday, in the interval between 12:00 and 17:00 hrs, they avoid travelling on National Road 1, in order to prevent the formation of traffic jams.
The Bucharest City Police General Directorate
The official statements after the visit are to be broadcast at 15.30 local time.
The official statement by Kamala Harris during her visit to Bucharest
Harris wanted to thank the Romanian people for the way they welcomed and sheltered Ukrainian refugees. She praised the Romanians for „showing extraordinary generosity and courage at this moment”. In addition, the U.S. Vice President assured Romania that the U.S. and NATO would defend every inch of Romania.
We take seriously, and are prepared to act on, the words we speak when we say, ‘An attack on one is an attack against all
Kamala Harris official statemennts in Bucharest, March 11, 2022
In his return, Romanian President Johannes called for a more substantial NATO force on the eastern flank. Kamala Harris did not mention any additional military measures compared to what was announced after she visited Poland. In Poland, she said that the United States would bring Patriot missiles into the country.
