BUCHAREST, May 25 (Xinhuanet) -- The United States will establish two military bases in Romania's Dobruja region near the Black Sea within one year, said a top Romanian army official on Wednesday.

    Valeriu Nicut, director of the strategic planning department ofthe Romanian general staff, made the announcement after meeting with Walter Sharp, a top US general, the Rompres news agency reported.

    "I anticipated it would take a maximum one year, but this is my own point of view," he was quoted as saying by the website of the Romanian Defense Ministry.

    Nicut said Romania will offer the United States the Mihail Kogalniceanu military base, a military camp and a shooting range near the camp and will provide logistic support, reported the Rompres.

    Meanwhile, Sharp said Romania is of great importance to the United States. But he failed to say the number and time of US soldiers to be deployed, reported the Rompres.

    Romania used the Mihail Kogalniceanu as a hub to transfer US soldiers and military property into Iraq during the early stage ofthe Iraqi war that started in March 2003. Enditem