国际英语新闻:Pentagon head calls on European allies to raise military budgets

BUCHAREST, June 5 (Xinhua) -- Visiting Pentagon head Chuck Hagel Thursday called on the European allies to raise army budgets, to modernize military capabilities.

"We will ask the Congress for around 1 billion dollars for training, to show the allies that we are willing to help them," U.S. Secretary of Defense Hagel told a joint press conference in Black Sea port city Constanta with his Romanian counterpart Mircea Dusa, after visiting the Ticonderoga-class guided-missile cruiser USS Vella Gulf, moored in the Constanta Harbour.

The U.S. official appreciated Romania's purchase of F-16 planes, stressing that his country wants to continue close work with Romania, especially regarding aerial capabilities, but also other capabilities.

"We are increasing cooperation with other partners in the Black Sea region: Bulgaria, Georgia, Turkey and Ukraine," he added.

Romania has demonstrated that it is a trustworthy partner for the United States and NATO, said Hagel, adding that his country appreciates Romania's contributions to maintaining security in this area as well as in other theaters of operations.

"Romania continues to render important support for strategic objectives, offering our troops the possibility to transit Romania," said Hagel.

Romania appreciates the political and military efforts deployed by its allies at NATO level and in bilateral settings after the crisis in Ukraine, to contribute toward the implementation of immediate reassurance measures for the member states, through increased air, land and naval military presence of NATO, said Romania's Defence Minister Mircea Dusa.

"Your visit to our country has a very important significance, because it is for the first time that a U.S. secretary of defence visits Romania after 2004, the year when Romania became a full NATO member," Dusa told the joint press conference with Hagel.

"The security situation in Romania's region has changed dramatically, with profound implications for NATO's stance in general, and particularly for the countries on the eastern flank of NATO," underlined the minister.

Hagel is conducting a one-day official visit to Romania, on which occasion he also met with Romanian Prime Minister Victor Ponta at the "Mihail Koganiceanu" military base near Constanta.

Hagel had attended a meeting of NATO defence ministers at its headquarters in Brussels before his Romanian trip and will wrap up his tour in France after meeting with his French counterpart and participating in the D-Day celebrations.