What the newspapers say: March 21, 2008

Russia publicly expressed its lack of satisfaction regarding the relationship with Romania, although Moscow agrees that Romania has yet to make a lot of steps towards Europe before being really concerned. Meanwhile, president Basescu is once again in the news, visiting Romanian soldiers in Bosnia exactly when Romania loses another military in Afghanistan. Speaking of the military, not only the traffic will be severely disturbed in Bucharest during the NATO summit, but also the health of those living too close to the mobile telecomm antennas.

Russia saw the official Foreign policy report for 2007 on Thursday. Former Romania president Emil Constantinescu says that „never before has the relationship between Romania and Russia been so much of a conflict, sometimes even on a personal level”. Russia criticizes the placing of US military bases in the Black Sea area, on Romanian soil, and reacts by reducing its involvement in the Black Sea issues, Cotidianul reads. The Russia diplomacy changes voice when it comes to the lack of progress in Romania: „The Romanian – Russian collaboration in minimizing the effects of Romania’s accession to the EU had positive effects”, the report reads.

Meanwhile, president Basescu visited Romanian soldiers in Bosnia and held a moment of silence in the honor of the Romanian soldier who died in Afghanistan yesterday, Evenimentul Zilei reads. In another article, the same paper checks the death toll and finds that 6 Romanian soldiers were lost in Afghanistan and 3 in Iraq. Injuries are also more frequent in Afghanistan – 21, compared to 14 in Iraq.

Speaking of president Basescu: after being denied a new presidential airplane in 2007, the president may be soon presented with a gift. Romavia may buy two airplanes which were take out of use, the A310 – 325 model, and turn them into presidential airplanes. The planes flew in long carrier regime, to New York, Beijing, Chicago and other far-away airports. Out of the three planes Romania had, one caused a major catastrophe in 1995, Evenimentul Zilei reminds.

Well, if flight is not safe, nothing is. Especially the cars. European officials are so sick with the car crashes caused by foreign drivers that they tabled a new law draft: drivers who can’t be punished because they are from another country will be sanctioned in their home-state. Speeding, not wearing a belt, crossing the red light and driving under the influence are the four main contraventions to be sent to the Police in the driver’s country, Gandul informs.

Walking isn’t any safer either. Specialists warn that, during the NATO summit, citizens may be exposed, for a short while, to electromagnetic intensities above the acceptable limit. Already polluted because of the too many mobile telephony antennas, Bucharest will see dozens of new antennas and thousands of active devices used in order to ensure the security during the summit, Cotidianul reads. At the same time, Jurnalul National finds out just how much the summit will cost us: 25 million euro, out of the state budget.