On Thursday evening in Poland Romanian president Traian Basescu had an unscheduled meeting with Jacques Chirac, president of France. This way the famous French diplomacy managed to interfere in plans on high level meetings of the British - American - Romanian "line". The Romanian president was supposed to have a first reunion with British PM Tony Blair, Western supporter of new Romania. Now because of the meeting with Chirac, the latter will turn into a second meeting. According to our presidency source, Chirac asked straight how could he meet Basescu, Romania's new ruler. He asked this question during events celebrating 60 years since the release of prisoners in the Auschwitz - Birkenau camp. Shortly after the two presidents were introduced to each other. Chirac congratulated, hugged and even gave a kiss to Basescu. The president of France promised the Romanian president that France was going to give full support to Romania's accession to the European Union in 2007. Traian Basescu also confirmed this. Basescu between Chirac and Bush at the NATO summit The next meeting between the two state presidents is due in Brussels, at the end of February. It might last 30 minutes, specify Romanian diplomacy sources. On February 22 Brussels is hosting one of the moat important reunions of the Euro - Atlantic defense this year: the Council of the North - Atlantic Alliance. US president George Bush will also attend it. The latter is also to have confidential meeting with Jacques Chirac. The following day the White House president is to meet Kremlin leader Vladimir Putin, during the USA - Russia summit in Bratislava. And who knows, maybe between Chirac and Putin, Bush will have time and express desire to meet Basescu too. Till then, the Romanian president is getting ready to leave for Great Britain on Monday. He is going to pay a visit which he described as "a very important foreign affairs project", also including analysis on the stability and security of the Black Sea region. Foreign Affairs Minister Mihai Razvan Ungureanu has informed us that the program will appoint meetings with PM Tony Blair, representatives of the Foreign Affairs Commission in the British Parliament, Lord Mayor of London and even Prince Charles. Iliescu, Nastase and PSD "significantly harmed" Romania Basescu had a short talk with all the leaders of groups represented in the Parliament of Europe: the people's party, the liberal, the socialist and the ecologist one. Afterwards, while on his way back to Bucharest, the Romanian president stated that PSD (the Social - Democrat Party) and the Iliescu - Nastase administration had "significantly harmed" Romanian at international level, by their policy on discrediting the former Opposition, who now got to rule. Basescu explained rather briefly that on the contrary, present rulers were not going to complain about "dreadful inheritance left by the former rulers", but be dignified and take responsibility for assignments taken on behalf of Romania. Basescu asked the leaders of parliamentary groups in the Parliament of Europe to set him a meeting with EU MPs, especially with those MPs that distrusted Romania. This way Basescu wanted to explain them the real state of things in Romania, we have been informed by presidential sources. Germany takes action While in Poland, the head of the Romanian state had more meetings with the presidents of Israel, Croatia, Austria and Germany. Israeli president Moshe Katsav invited Basescu to come to Tel Aviv and Jerusalem. The president of Croatia expressed interest in appointing a visit to Bucharest or Zagreb. During his conversation with Austrian president Heinz Fischer, Basescu told him he disagreed with the building of a prison in Romania on Austrian finance. But the head of the Romanian state was civil and assured Fischer he would look into the matter and give official reply to the Austrian request within 30 days. Basescu stated that the president of Germany Horst Kohler "insinuated that Germany would give reliable support to the integration processes Romania was carrying out". Basescu also announced eventual visit to Germany. Diplomacy sources stated that he head of the Romanian state might visit Germany and have meetings with the German Chancellor an other Cabinet members. He was also scheduled a speech in Bundestag. At about 9 o'clock in the morning, after the plane had landed on the Henri Coanda airport, Basescu scored "See in London!" in his typical liveliness.

Victor RONCEA