The orientation proposed by the new Ukrainian President Viktor Ianukovici spoils the balance in the Romanian-Ukrainian relationship. Elsewhere in the news, Romanian military pensions make the country unique in the world. Last but not least, Maths champions are made-in-Romania.

The orientation proposed by the new Ukrainian President Viktor Ianukovici spoils the balance in the Romanian-Ukrainian relationship, which could see another low, Romania Libera reads. The Black Sea region, NATO expansion and the European plans addressing gas supplies have changed. Specialists say that Kiev's switch cannot be as radical as Ianukovici wanted people to believe in the electoral campaign.

Romanian Military Studies Institute chief Mihail Ionescu believes that Ukraine's European integration aim will not be left to the bottom of the list. He claims that Ukraine's new position is very important for Romania since Romania's longest border is with this state. Moldavian analyst Bogdan Tardea, head of the Social-Democratic Institute from the Republic of Moldova, believes that Ianukovici's victory will end NATO's expansion towards Eat and will weaken the "orange anti-Russian belt". Plus, the energy projects in the Black Sea might be "disturbed", as they are not seen with good eyes by the Russians.

Bogdan Tardea believes that Barak Obama's placing missile shield elements in Romania and inviting Moldova to join the forces in Afghanistan show the American President's intention of stopping Ukraine getting closer to Russia. The military analyst believes that even if Ianukovici tries to take his country closer to Russia he will face opposition, since he does not have popular support in Kiev and in the Western districts. Plus, the economic support is coming from the West.

According to the Russian publication Kommersant, Ianukovici is thinking of creating a consortium to manage the gas pipes network in Ukraine, with three equal owners: Russian giant Gazprom, national company Naftofaz and a European energy group. Moldovan geopolitics specialist Oleg Serebian believes that Ianukovici's election is good for the Romanian community from Ukraine because he promised the Romanian minority from North Bucovina cultural and linguistic autonomy. He believes that the relationship Kiev-Bucharest will be much tighter.

Russia in Global Affairs editor-in-chief Fiodor Lukianov says that Romania has all the reason to be content with Ukraine's newly elected president. And Romanian liberal ex-Foreign Affairs minister Teodor Melescanu declared that Romania must support Ukraine even if the state might take a more Eastern perspective. During the NATO summit in Bucharest in April 2008, Romania and the US backed Ukraine and Georgia into the alliance.

Romanian military pensions make the country unique in the world, Evenimentul Zilei reads. Romanian soldiers, police and intelligence agents might be forced to accept a "reassessed" pension, according to the contributions paid by their regular incomes, with no benefits, similar to magistrates, MPs and pilots. They are threatening the executive with trials, while trying to pressure politicians to preserve their special pensions. But there are little chances to turn the law to their favour.

This aspect would make Romania unique worldwide, since in the EU and NATO soldiers enjoy privileged pensions. In Romania, it has been decided to make no exception when reforming and reassessing the pensions' law and system in order to avoid a precedent, Labour Ministry officials explained. A previous version of the law included special pensions for troops, police and secret agents, calculated differently because they have not contributed to the budget.

Their pensions will be considered according to hypothetical social contributions featured by the pension law, namely on false premises. The law has good chances to be passed by the parliament and it will be enforced in about seven months after being voted. In the EU and NATO, the pensions attributed to these social categories amount to 75-80% of their last income. The current average pension a Romanian soldier gets is 2,000 lei.

Romanian PM Emil Boc has made a public debate out of the "shameful pensions", which he aims to eradicate. But his LibDem party colleagues and members other parties, some part of the defence commission, back an exception when it comes to military pensions, bearing in mind the life of a soldier. Some doubt that the law will be passed without any alterations.

Maths champions are made-in-Romania, Adevarul informs. World's top mathematician is a Romanian, namely professor 35-year old Daniel Breaz from Alba Iulia. A student from Baia Mare amazes Europe during Olympics and Romanian students are much appreciated in Harvard. Daniel Breaz trusts that one can achieve performance in Romania, but the research department needs a decent budget, so that professionals working in this department are not tempted to emigrate.

His latest distinction is best world mathematical in the geometrical theory of functions, awarded by the Institute of Research in Mathematical Sciences from Kyoto University in Japan. Daniel will receive the annual distinction on May 21 in Osaka. There are about 4,500 mathematicians working in this domain. The Romanian school of geometric theory of functions is one of the best in the world, alongside Japan, Turkey, Malaysia, India and Canada, Breaz considers. He currently teaches at Alba Iulia University and will hold a summer school this year for PhD students from Kultur University in Istanbul, Turkey.

The Romanian Overseas Students designated Corina Tarnits as the best student in North America. Originally from Craiova (South Romania), she is one of Harvard's best PhD students in Maths. She graduated Magna Cum Laudae. Additionally, last year the Romanian students ranked third in the Maths International Olympics, getting two gold medals, two silver and one bronze. One gold medal went to Madalina Persu, International Informatics High school from Bucharest graduate, and one to Omer Cerrahoglu, 8th grade graduate at the National College Vasile Lucaciu from Baia Mare.

Omer Cerrahoglu has competed against students four to five years older than him. Last year, when she was in the seventh grade, he impressed everyone when he competed against 11th grade students at the International Maths Olympics in Bremen, Germany. His most recent success was winning the American Maths Olympics last week.