A thaw in relations between Romania and Russia

Russian President Vladimir Putin's presence at the NATO summit in Bucharest was the first visit by a Russian head of state to Romania since 1990. Florian Bichier sees this as a new beginning: "The pathological fear of the Russians is a result of our foreign policy and also, quite justifiably, our past. It's difficult to simply erase the 50 years of communism. Romania's accession to NATO was an act of revenge. Nonetheless, there are many people who continue to hope for good relations with Russia ... Now the path is being paved for a dialogue between Russia and Romania, whose relations have been anything but friendly since 2005. Putin's inviting Basescu to visit Moscow was more than just a formal gesture."

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