BUCHAREST, March 16 (Xinhua) -- Romania's Foreign Ministry said Monday that the country is not involved in the conflict in the Middle East, after Iran warned Bucharest over the possible use of Romanian bases by the United States.
"Romania is not part of the conflict. Our priority is diplomatic efforts for de-escalation," the ministry said in a statement.
U.S. access to Romanian military bases is regulated by a bilateral agreement signed in 2006 and the missile defense system hosted in Romania is strictly defensive, the statement added.
Earlier on Monday, Iranian Foreign Ministry spokesperson Esmaeil Baghaei warned Romania not to allow the United States to use bases on its territory for operations against Iran.
"If Romania makes its bases available to the United States, it would amount to participation in military aggression against Iran," Baghaei told a weekly news conference. ■
