BUCHAREST REGARDS NATO, RUSSIA AND UKRAINE AS ITS NATURAL
PARTNERS








BUCHAREST, 1 March (RIA "Nowosti" rIA-"Nowosti"-Korrespondent Gennadi
Abalow).  Romania will increase the defence expenditure in this year
by 35 per cent, in order to fulfill the obligations taken over
opposite NATO for the modernization of the army.  Whereupon the
Romanian president referred ion Iliescu on Thursday on a press
conference in Bucharest, which applied to the results of a session of
the government, in which over the preparation of the country to the
entry to the North Atlantic alliance to advise became.

" 85 per cent of the Romanians regard the integration into NATO as the
only possibility of the guarantee of the security of the country.  A
similar opinion are also representatives of the political elite of
Romania ", said the president.

**time-out** nevertheless hold the president and the Prime Minister
Romania it for necessary, with representative all political party over
way and means to accelerate solution the problem the entry Romania to
NATO advise.  Assumed after the tunings a declaration, in which the
political selection of the inhabitants of Romania will find their
precipitation, it was said.

Iliescu called the forthcoming contribution of Romania to NATO a
measure for strengthening the peace and stability in Europe.  " that
is not a hostile ATS opposite eastern neighbours or otherwise someone.
Bucharest regards NATO like also Russia and the Ukraine as its natural
partner ", said the head of state.