The President of Romania, Emil Constantinescu, has begun a three-day official visit to Britain with a meeting with the British defence minister, Geoff Hoon.

He was expected to go on to meet the foreign minister, Robin Cook.

As he left Bucharest, President Constantinescu made it clear that Romanian integration into the European Union -- with membership negotiations opening in March -- would be high on the agenda of his talks in London.

His also expected to press his country's case for joining NATO -- as well as for greater British investment in Romania.

From the newsroom of the BBC World Service