The United States defence department is poised to invest about $100 million in construction of two new military installations, a large base in Bulgaria and a smaller one in Romania, the American Stars and Stripes publication announced on October 16 2009.

The bases are to be built with American funds but will be owned by the Bulgarian and Romanian governments and will be shared between US and host-nation forces.

The decision to invest in Bulgaria and Romania has come in a bid to show "heightened interest in the region" in the aftermath of the Obama administration abandoning its plans for the controversial missile-defense shield that was supposed to be built in Poland and the Czech Republic

The Pentagon is contemplating building a $60 million facility in Bulgaria to accommodate 2500 troops and another in Romania, estimated to cost about 50 million for 1600 US personnel, the report said.

The Romanian facility reportedly is in its advanced stage, expected to be operational by the end of the year, while the base in Bulgaria is expected to open in 2011 or 2012.

Currently US troops for the 2nd Stryker Cavalry Regiment are conducting joint tactical training maneuvers with Bulgarian infantry units in the Novo Selo range. Training started in late June and is scheduled to last until the end of the October.

"We have made commitments and they have never made any overt conversation along the lines of pulling out of JTF-East," said Col. Gary Russ, commander of Joint Task Force-East said, quoted by the Stars and Stripes.

 "I think both of these bases (in Bulgaria and Romania) illustrate great commitment [to Eastern Europe]."

"It would be telling Russia that that US. is not interested in Eastern Europe and telling those countries that they are basically on their own," he said.

On September 17, international media announced the US Government's intention to finally abandon plans to construct a missile defence shield in Poland and the Czech Republic.

The CNN quoted US vice president Joe Biden that the new administration no longer believes that George W. Bush's plan had any practical merit.

"I think we are fully capable and secure dealing with any present or future potential Iranian threat," he was quoted as saying by the CNN. "The whole purpose of this exercise we are undertaking is to diminish the prospect of the Iranians destabilizing that region in the world. I am less concerned - much less concerned - about the Iranian potential. They have no potential at this moment, they have no capacity to launch a missile at the United States of America," he said.