Statue of Romulus and Remus

The Roman Square in Bucharest has a new statue - the wolf and the two boys Romulus and Remus, who according to legend founded Rome.

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Now with Romainia cultivating her Roman roots and historic ties to the West, the statue has a new symbolic meaning for the Romanians.

And there is a new atmosphere in Bucharest, a new optimism, created not only by the heat of the summer.  It's created by a new President - who has promised blood, sweat and tears.

Cranes tower over city

For seven years the cranes were towering like frozen gallows over Ceuacescu's bizarre constructions in Bucharest.  Now they look almost natural, while the fountains flow on the deceased Dictator's "Avenue to the Victory of Socialism."

At the University Square the crosses for the victims of the bloody Christmas revolution in 1989 has been joined by a new symbol: a milestone for the democracy and freedom, which finally reached Romania in November, 1996 - the democracy which will bring Romania into NATO, they hope.

Cultural Dancers Perform ....

Presidential Car

Democracy in Romania has a new meaning with the new President, geologist and law professor, Emil constantinescu.  He is a moral authority in a country ever short of moral leaders.  He has put Romania on economic shock-therapy, prescribed by the IMF, the World Bank and the EU - and he has promised Romania to return to the West, preferably through membership of NATO.

03.15

Interview: EMIL CONSTANTINESCU

The Romanians do not see NATO as an alliance built around rockets, or around tanks.  They see NATO as an alliance built on values, and these values are democracy, an efficient market-economy, a solid culture, a civilisation at a higher level.

Today Romania is able to assume these values - and after 50 years of communist isolation, of the stagnation of a post-communist society, we want to demonstrate that we are capable of assuming these values, and we are waiting for the world to realise this.

04.34

Flori Blaga lives in Brasov, Transylvania. A single mother with her own company, and Hungarians in her family. She belongs to the new class of entrepreneurs, longing for contacts and business with the west - and not the least longing for the showdown with corruption and stagnation, which Mr Iliescu's previous government took.

Interview: Mrs Flori Blaga, Brasov

You can observe the change and feel it in the population. People understand the change and express it. To Romanians Constantinescu means progress, real progress. He is equal to progress psychologically as well as in reality.

Conditions for minorities, especially the Hungarians, have improved. Positive co-existance have succeeded tensions. Today Romania's Minister for Minorities is Hungarian - and for the first time in twenty years, Hungary's President has visited Romania.

05.20

Interview: Mrs Flori Blaga, Brasov

Yes, they (the conditions for the minorities) have changed, and the relationship between the people at people-to-people level is in fact good. So I can say that I feel myself from both here and there, because I lived amongst Hungarians for 40 years. The relationship between Hungarians and Romanians is really good, and it will develop in the future, without any risks for anyone.

Dance...

At the Airborne battalion in Clinceni south of Bucharest, elite-troops exercise on a course copied from Kansas, USA.

The Romanian armed forces were isolated within the Warszawa-pact - and almost a national defense-army.

Partnership-for-peace created cooperation with the West, and the Romanians have spent six years reforming their forces, adapting to NATO-standards - and cutting down.

Today linguistic courses follow the military disciplines for soldiers and officers.  Peace-keeping has become an important part of the training of the Airborne-forces, which are at the core of Romania's new "Rapid-Reaction-Force" - used for peace-keeping-missions.

Interview with Lieutenant-Colonel EMIL OLIRU

We are now prepared for other kinds of missions, such as peacekeeping missions, and we are ready to carry them out with parts of our sub-units.  The unit under my command is totally prepared to complete the missions aimed at assisting civilians.

These are the elite troops, conscripts as well as contracted soldiers.  They have been on exercises with Western troops - American, British and Dutch - and are now on peace keeping missions in Bosnia, Angola and Albania.

Helicopters, weapons and material are all produced in Romania's substantial weapons industry.  Romania does have Hercules - even though an old Russian Antonov will do during training.

07.50

The reforms and cut-downs have been dramatic.  From 278,000 soldiers in 1989, 100,000 men will be gone by the year 2000 - while the quality of the individual soldier will have improved to Western standards.

The Military Academy tells its own story of foreign influence on Romania's forces.  Built by the Germans the Academy stands rock solid.  Indoors, the paintings tell a story of first French influence, then German, Soviet - and now Western influence again.

08.03

Interview General DUMITRO CIOPLINA

Chief of the Military Academy

The essence of the reforms in the Army - and by the way not only in the army, but also at a social level and in society as such - is the detachment from the excessive system of centralised leadership towards decentralisation.  We have taken a lot of steps, but we can't claim that we are at the level of the armies in democratic Western countries.

08.22

In just six months Romania has changed relations with all its neighbours - signing treaties with Hungary, Ukraine and Moldova - and it registers no resistance to its membership of NATO.

Interview VICTOR BABIUC, Minister of Defence

If I refer to Moldova: Moldova agrees with our entering into NATO, even though Moldova does not want to enter.  Ukraine agrees with Romania's entrance into NATO, even though Ukraine does not want to enter.  Hungary agrees - and also wants to enter NATO.  Bulgaria agrees - and wants to enter.  Serbia agrees even though it does not want to enter.  I cannot see why our entry into NATO should upset our relations with our neighbours.

08.59

DANCE....

A relic from the past pops up in Bucharest.  Some look in wonder - and let the past be past.  Romanians are concerned about the tough economic reforms, about the future and about membership of NATO.  Expectations are at a level which is hardly realistic.

The Government is offering Romania to NATO - and counts on Western understanding, which the West may not want, or may be unable - to deliver.  The disappointment will be huge, if membership eludes Romania.

Interview: CONSTANTIN MIORICA

A lot of people take this entry into NATO for granted.  They have bet a lot on it.  So if it doesn't happen it will be like a cold shower, a terribly cold shower!

Interview: Professor MIRCEA SLIVESTUR

I am convinced that we will enter in the first wave, and even if we don't enter in the first wave, we will not be neglected.  We have a good strategic position and without this country it is impossible.

Interview: President EMIL CONSTANTINESCU

The Romanians succeeded in winning their independence at a time when no one trusted us.  I have to say that almost no one in the West believed in these changes.  Nobody supported us.  Our main goal is to regain our credibility and dignity.  The time for receiving assistance is gone.  No one gives anything for free; in charity.  We know that the European Union and NATO are not charity organisations, and we consciously assume our destiny, which we will build alone.

ENDS

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