[Congressional Record (Bound Edition), Volume 163 (2017), Part 7]
[Extensions of Remarks]
[Page 9026]
[From the U.S. Government Publishing Office, www.gpo.gov]




         WELCOMING THE ROMANIAN PRESIDENT TO THE UNITED STATES

                                 ______
                                 

                         HON. MICHAEL R. TURNER

                                of ohio

                    in the house of representatives

                         Thursday, June 8, 2017

  Mr. TURNER. Mr. Speaker, I am proud to welcome Romanian President 
Klaus Iohannis to our Nation's Capital, and I look forward to 
personally meeting with him this evening. Two days ago, President 
Iohannis placed a wreath at the Tomb of the Unknown Soldier in the 
Arlington National Cemetery, honoring the memory of our service 
members. Tomorrow, he is meeting with President Trump and other 
American officials. Romania is a stalwart U.S. partner and an important 
member of the NATO Alliance. It hosts the Aegis Ashore Missile Defense 
System at Deveselu military base, which protects NATO members from 
ballistic missile threats originating from the Middle East.
  Romania has also been a staunch American ally in global 
counterterrorism operations against ISIS and Al Qaeda, collaborating on 
intelligence-sharing initiatives to support U.S. and NATO operations. 
The Romanian armed forces have supported U.S. and NATO missions in 
Iraq, Afghanistan, and other theaters for over a decade, contributing 
more than 30,000 total combat and support personnel. With over 600 
troops currently serving in Afghanistan, Romania maintains the fourth 
largest NATO contingent protecting vital U.S. security interests and 
the safety of Afghan communities and international forces.
  I join all my colleagues in welcoming a true friend, Romanian 
President Klaus Iohannis.

                          ____________________