Romania has been negotiating with Washington on deploying of a segment of the United States anti missile shield, Foreign Minister Teodor Baconschi said Friday in Sofia after meeting his Bulgarian counterpart Nikolay Mladenov.

- The negotiations will most likely take 18 months, Baconschi said, pointing out that about 20 intercepting devices will be deployed on the territory of Romania.

Romania's top defense body-the Supreme Defense Council-approved earlier this month a plan by Washington to deploy interceptor missiles in the Black Sea state as part of a missile shield to protect Europe.

Bulgarian PM Boyko Borissov said the US would have preliminary talks with his government on a possibility of hosting elements of the US anti-missile defence shield.

- I believe that we should demonstrate solidarity. When you are a member of NATO, you should work for collective security, Borissov said at a press conference two weeks ago.