Romanian Ambassador Eugen Dijmarescu is leaving Saturday with a sense of accomplishment that trust has been established in Tokyo-Bucharest relations after his five-year assignment in Tokyo. Dijmarescu said during his visit to The Japan Times on Wednesday that he is grateful for Japanese assistance in Romanian infrastructure projects, including improvements to national roads to railways. Emphasizing his point about the rapid expansion of bilateral relations, the ambassador pointed out that Japanese investment in his country has jumped from a mere $2 million when he arrived in Japan in December 1994 to $174 million today, although today's total is still far less than Japan's investment in other European countries. Having traveled extensively and talked with many people across the country during the past five years, Dijmarescu said he found Japan to be a "very open society." He will take over the post of deputy foreign minister in charge of European affairs in Bucharest and will immediately begin preparing for talks commencing Feb. 4 relating to his country's possible membership of the European Union. Dijmarescu said his government considers these "the most important negotiations."
