Romania's initiative to host missiles as part of a U.S. missile defense shield in Europe could turn neighboring Moldova into a front-line area, Moldovan ex-president Vladimir Voronin said on Sunday.

Romanian President Traian Basescu on Thursday welcomed talks with the United States on a plan to deploy interceptor missiles as part of the U.S. missile shield to protect European allies.

A U.S. State Department official said earlier the facilities in Romania are due to become operational by 2015 and are designed as protection against "current and emerging ballistic missile threats from Iran."

Voronin, who is leader of Moldova's Communist Party, said Romania's position on the U.S. missile shield and also open support for it from the Moldovan current leadership could have disastrous consequences for security in the region.

Moldovan Communists earlier demanded from Moldova's government to issue a protest to Romania over its U.S. missile plans, pointing to the inadmissibility of deploying U.S. missile shield elements on Romanian territory.

Russia on Friday expressed concerns about Romania's decision to host missiles as part of a U.S. missile defense shield, and Foreign Minister Sergei Lavrov demanded "clarifications."

The planned deployment in Romania comes after U.S. President Barack Obama scrapped plans for a radar and interceptor missiles in the Czech Republic and Poland, which Russia fiercely opposed as a national security threat and a blow on its nuclear deterrent. Moscow threatened retaliatory measures.

CHISINAU, February 7 (RIA Novosti)