Bucharest  - US Vice-President Joe Biden Thursday thanked the government of Romania for its quick backing of new plans for a US missile defence programme.

The new system, which replaces a recently scrapped Bush-era plan that would have based planned facilities in Poland and the Czech Republic, is better constructed to protect both Romania and the United States, Biden told Romanian President Traian Basescu.

Bucharest  - US Vice-President Joe Biden Thursday thanked the government of Romania for its quick backing of new plans for a US missile defence programme.

The new system, which replaces a recently scrapped Bush-era plan that would have based planned facilities in Poland and the Czech Republic, is better constructed to protect both Romania and the United States, Biden told Romanian President Traian Basescu.

Bucharest  - US Vice-President Joe Biden Thursday thanked the government of Romania for its quick backing of new plans for a US missile defence programme.

The new system, which replaces a recently scrapped Bush-era plan that would have based planned facilities in Poland and the Czech Republic, is better constructed to protect both Romania and the United States, Biden told Romanian President Traian Basescu.

Warsaw  - The US will strike no deals with Russia at the expense of Central Europe, US Vice President Joe Biden told a Polish daily as he began a visit to discuss a new missile defence shield and to mend ailing relations after original plans for the system were scrapped.

"Nothing about you without you," Biden said in an interview with the daily Rzeczpospolita. He added that the new missile shield is more effective, versatile and includes more advanced technology than the previous Bush-era proposal.

Washington, Oct. 9 : Worried by the wide scale criticism of the Kerry Lugar Bill in Pakistan, US Vice President Joe Biden has said that Washington is considering Islamabad’s reservations on the aid Bill.

Biden met Pakistani ambassador-at-large Raffat Mahmood in Washington and told him that the Obama Administration is aware of Pakistan’s concerns and is examining them, The News reports.

Biden pointed out that the Bill, which was introduced earlier in the Senate, did not contain any questionable terms and conditions.

Baghdad - US Vice President Joe Biden on Wednesday appeared unfazed by the lethal rocket attacks that greeted his arrival in Baghdad the night before, exchanging gifts and joking with Iraqi officials.

Iraqi police said that two people died and five were wounded in Tuesday night's rocket attacks, which the Mujahidine Army insurgent group called a "reception" for Biden in claiming responsibility on an Islamist website, according to Washington SITE Intelligence Group.

Baghdad - US Vice President Joe Biden landed in Baghdad on Tuesday, in an unannounced trip, the Dubai-based al-Arabiya satellite news network reported.

Al-Arabiya said Biden would meet with several leading Iraqi politicians to review preparations for elections scheduled to take place in January and to discuss the US role in Iraq following US troop withdrawals from Iraqi cities and towns in June. (dpa)

Washington, Aug. 20 : US Vice President Joe Biden has proven his mettle within the Obama administration, and according to an article in the Los Angeles Times, he may be setting his sights on contesting the presidential elections in 2016.

"Biden''s ambitions go beyond serving as an influential vice president. He doesn''t necessarily believe his political career has peaked. Aides said he might go for the Democratic presidential nomination in 2016. He would be 74 upon taking office, but his staff insists that''s not too old," the article in the paper says.

Florida (US), Aug. 20 : Vice President Joe Biden has acknowledged that Barack Obama wears the pants in the White House.

He admitted this during a fundraising dinner Wednesday in Florida, when he responded to a suggestion that President Bush leaned heavily on Vice President Cheney for guidance.

That''s not how the Obama administration works, Biden reportedly told about 150 political donors at the Orlando event.

Washington - The United States will give up to 2.3 billion dollars in tax credits to green manufacturers in the latest disbursement Thursday of the government's economic stimulus package.

The new credits will go to manufacturers of clean energy equipment including wind, solar, geothermal energy and electric car batteries. Vice President Joe Biden said it marked the latest effort both to revive the US economy and transition away from fossil fuels.

Washington - Police forces around the United States will get 1 billion dollars in grants as part of the government's efforts to revive the economy, the Justice Department said Tuesday.

The money comes from a 787-billion-dollar economic stimulus plan adopted by the US Congress in February. More than 1,000 agencies around the country are slated to get a portion of the federal funds.

Tbilisi/Moscow  - US Vice President Joe Biden has met with Georgian President Mikheil Saakashvili Thursday as part of his visit to the former Soviet republic.

On arriving in Georgia on Wednesday evening Biden pledged that the US would support Georgia on its way to greater democracy.

Thursday's meeting took place behind closed doors, although Biden is due to meet with Georgian opposition leaders and address the country's parliament later in the day, local media reported.

New York, July 23 : US Vice President Joe Biden believes that women in the Ukraine are the most beautiful in the entire world.

Following a two-day visit to the former Soviet state, Biden told President Viktor Yushchenko that the gorgeous women blew him away, reports The New York Daily News.

"[They''re] the most beautiful women in the world. That''s my observation," Biden said.

He was overheard making the comment to his host during a visit to an Irish-themed pub in the capital of Kiev.

Jerusalem, July 6 : US Vice President Joe Biden has said the US will not dictate to Israel-a sovereign nation-in case, it decides to strike Iran's nuclear sites.

Biden was asked on ABC''s This Week whether the US would stand in the way militarily if the Israelis decided they needed to take out Iran''s nuclear program.

"The US cannot dictate to another sovereign nation what they can and cannot do. Israel can determine for itself - it''s a sovereign nation - what''s in their interest and what they decide to do relative to Iran and anyone else," the Jerusalem Post quoted Biden, as saying.

Washington/Tel Aviv - Israel would not comment Monday on a signal by US Vice President Joe Biden that Washington would not stand in the way of an Israeli attack on Iranian nuclear facilities.

The US was not in a position to dictate to any sovereign nation what they could or could not do, Biden said in an interview Sunday with the US broadcaster ABC.

Israel could itself make those decisions that it thought in its best interests, Biden added, sparking speculation that this meant a "green light" in case Israel decides to strike in Iran.

Baghdad  - US Vice President Joe Biden said Friday that he was "optimistic" about Iraq's prospects for stability and security, as he met with US and Iraqi officials in Baghdad.

Biden met first with the commander of US forces in Iraq, Ray Odierno, whose forces withdrew from Iraqi cities as planned on June 30.

"I am optimistic," Biden said. "I think the Iraqis have become invested in their nationhood ... I think they've become invested in the idea that they want to run their own lives, that they want to be in charge."

Washington - US Vice President Joe Biden arrived in Iraq to push the country's leaders to make progress towards political reconciliation, the White House said Thursday, days after the withdrawal of US troops from cities and towns.

Biden was to meet with President Jalal Talabani, Prime Minister Nuri al-Maliki and other officials to nudge along negotiations for establishing long-term stability in Iraq.

Washington - US Vice President Joe Biden will travel to Georgia and Ukraine next month for talks on boosting the former Soviet republics' economies and supporting democratic reforms, his office said Monday.

Both trips involve political sensitivities with Russia, and the visit would come shortly after US President Barack Obama travels to Moscow.

Colorado (US), May 28 : Vice President Joe Biden teased his boss President Barack Obama on Wednesday over his teleprompter dependence.

Speaking at the Air Force Academy commencement ceremony in Colorado, Biden poked fun at Obama''s known affinity for his teleprompter.

Biden made the crack about Obama''s crutch after a strong gust of wind blew over one of the vice president''s teleprompters.

Washington, May 23 : Right after his November election as the US Vice-President, a series of blunders have dogged down Joe Biden. The latest question being asked in Washington circles is-Have Biden's faux pas strained his relations with President Barack Obama?

Biden's aides are having a tough time defending their vice president's goof-ups, as also his relationship with Obama, The Politico reports.

A book by Newsweek's Richard Wolffe quoted his senior aide as saying, "Biden can't keep his mouth shut."