Two American ships, one of which has been through an al-Qaida terrorist attack, have arrived in the Romanian port of Constanta and will be part of joint training to support peace and stability in the region.

This will allow Romanian and American troops to train side by side in the following period. Destroyer USS Cole was in 2000 the target of an al-Qaida attack that killed 17 marines on board (ship pictured, after the attack).

Another ship, the USS Mount Whitney frigate, has also arrived in Constanta for the drills. US ships are already a familiar presence in the port of Constanta, which has already welcomed several of them in the past year.

Vella Gulf’s presence in Romania reaffirms US commitment to work closely with NATO allies, says ship’s commanding officer