ing the latter part of the 1960s authority over the border
forces passed to the Ministry of the Armed Forces, but the move was
apparently accomplished over a period of time, and the decree
formalizing the transfer was not published until September 1971. The
commander of the frontier troops is one of the major operational
commanders under the minister of the armed forces and is on a level with
the chiefs of the military regions, the air and air defense force, and
naval forces.

Regulations defining border areas to be controlled and describing the
authority of the forces were amended in late 1969. The border strip is a
prohibited area, which is fenced in some places and often patrolled. On
level, dry ground, it is sixty-five-feet wide but, where the borderline
crosses marshy or rugged terrain, it may be widened enough to afford the
troops easier access and control.

A border zone varies in width but extends into the country from the
strip and includes towns and communes. Frontier troops have overall
control within the zone. They are instructed not to interfere more than
necessary with usual human activities in it and to cooperate with the
local police, whom they do not supplant. Although they are paramount in
the zone, they are not restricted to it and may work fifteen or twenty
miles into the interior if necessary.

Troops are charged with controlling people, goods, and communications at
the border and preventing unauthorized passage and smuggling. The major
port city of Constanta, on the Black Sea coast, is listed as an
exception to most of the border control regulations. Its city territory
does not have a border strip, nor is it within a border zone. The
regulation is presumably intended to facilitate port and shipping
operations and to keep the more stringent controls inland from the port
so that they do not interfere with international trade or tourist
traffic.

FOREIGN MILITARY RELATIONS

Romania is a member of the Warsaw Pact, having joined when the pact was
created in 1955. It also has bilateral treaties of friendship,
cooperation, and mutual assistance with each of the other pact nations.
Since each pact member has signed one of these treaties with all other
members, all are bound to come to the assistance of any other that is
attacked. In practical terms all are bound to the defense of any pact
member in any conflict in which it might become involved since, no
matter how it started, the other country wou