Oradea, Jan 18 /Agerpres/ – The ambassador of the Kingdom of Belgium to Romania, John Cornet d’Elzius, who visited the city of Oradea for the first time, was impressed by the beauty of the restored buildings in the city, but also by the “huge potential to attract foreign investments”.

According to a press release from the Oradea City Hall, the Belgian ambassador was received on Thursday by the mayor Florin Birta and the president of the Bihor County Council (CJ), Ilie Bolojan.

The Belgian diplomat was accompanied by the executive director of the Belgium-Luxembourg-Romania-Republic of Moldova Chamber of Commerce (BEROCC), Alain Schodts and the chairman of BEROCC, Johan Gabriels.

“The meeting was a good opportunity for His Excellency to show his admiration for our city, which he visited for the first time, stating that it is a pleasure and an honor to be in Oradea, about which he heard many beautiful things. The diplomat was impressed by the beauty of the restored buildings and wanted to know how the municipality managed to develop in recent years, noting, at the same time, that Oradea is an example to follow,” the press office of the town hall said in the press release.

Mayor Florin Birta spoke about the big infrastructure projects that the local public administration managed to complete, as well as about the European funds and foreign investments due to which the city has transformed from 2008 until now.

In his turn, the chairman of the CJ Bihor, Ilie Bolojan, pointed out what the development policies are, specifying that the county’s development is concentrated around the city and the restricted Metropolitan Area of Oradea. He also mentioned that the emphasis is on ensuring air connectivity with the capital and important hubs in Europe, as well as road connectivity to the European and national motorway network. At the same time, he discussed the importance of supporting dual and university education and the provision of industrial parks 50-70 kilometers away from Oradea.

At the end of the meeting, Ambassador John Cornet d’Elzius said that he was impressed by the evolution of the city and the projects carried out by Oradea City Hall, noting that the city and the adjacent area have “a huge potential to attract foreign investments,” the quoted source also mentions.