Not just another protocol?

It is always exciting to read about the fact that the heads of two powerful Security Services are getting together, and the announcement of the meeting of the Head of MI6 with the Head of SRI (Romanian Intelligence Office), as part of President Basescu"s State Visit, adds some spice to the usual press statements, made to be as boring as possible. And in this case, they mainly concern economic cooperation and judicial reform, as you would expect.

Inside intelligence sources report that MI6 has a high regard for the standards of professionalism which the SRI has maintained over the years of transition.

However, the real spice comes from the fact that, according to the SRI"s press office, the Romanian President himself attended the security meeting, which is not at all usual, and raises many questions, not least suggesting the possibility that this was more than just a protocol.

Obviously, high on the agenda would have been Libya and Afghanistan, where Romania has been actively involved in the international initiatives (yes, this style of writing like a press statement can be contagious). And there would have been very necessary discussions about European expansion and international terrorism.

Equally important will have been, at a guess, the subject of Syria, with whom Romania has traditionally had strong trade links and whose current political meltdown presents a major threat to the balance of power in the Middle East, not least because of Syria"s nuclear capability.

Then there is the whole issue of Russia, Moldova, the Ukrainian border and organized crime emanating from that area: the people smuggling, drug trafficking thing that has been growing since 1990, with Romania being a major conduit of such business into western Europe. This ought to have been very high on the agenda, in the opinion of many people. We can but hope. What should be considered is that as, or maybe when, Romania eventually improves its road infrastructure, that problem will become correspondingly bigger, and crucial to Europe"s security.

What is sure to be of more immediate concern to Romanians, is the continuing cooperation between the two security services, with MI6 providing invaluable assistance in training SRI agents, (as George Maior, the director of the SRI, told press representatives recently) and therefore helping to reinforce the powers of what some see as a still too powerful organization in a post communist world.

(Not that this would cause MI6 to pause its agenda: smiles all round and plenty of warm handshakes). In this context, there is a danger that Mr. Basescu"s unexplained presence at this recent meeting could be seen to politicize that relationship, which would be of concern to those wishing to see Romania complete its long overdue transition to real democracy.