Romania Joins Mourning of Polish President’s Death – President Traian Basescu

Basescu underscored that the commemoration of 70 years since the massacre in Katyn, an even Kaczynski was due to attend Saturday, brings a historical and symbolic meaning to the tragedy that hit the friendly Polish nation.

Romanian Prime Minister Emil Boc, in turn, sent his deep condolences to his Polish counterpart Donald Tusk over the tragic death of Kaczynski and other high-ranking officials, the Romanian government said in a statement Saturday.

Boc conveyed sympathy and deep sorrow to the families of the plane crash victims and to the Polish people, on behalf of all Romanians and the Government, according to the statement.

A plane carrying Kaczynski, his wife Maria and other high-ranking officials crashed in a heavy fog in western Russia earlier Saturday, killing all people aboard, Polish officials said.

Kaczynski was flying to Katyn, near Smolensk, for events marking the 70th anniversary of the massacre of thousands of Polish prisoners of war and intellectuals by Soviet secret police in Katyn and elsewhere during World War II.

The events that were due to take place Saturday in the Katyn forest, near the crash scene, were meant to help the reconciliation between Poland and Russia.

Russia has never officially apologized for the murder of some 22,000 Polish officers 70 years ago, but Prime Minister Vladimir Putin’s decision to attend a memorial ceremony earlier this week in the forest near Katyn was seen as a gesture of goodwill toward reconciliation.

Crowds gathered outside the presidential palace in Polish capital Warsaw to lay flowers, light candles and pray for the victims. Flags were lowered to half mast, and across the country people put out the red and white national flag, draped in black ribbon. Poland has declared a week of national mourning.