It was a pleasure to give an active support to the Belgian Connection in 2008 and 2009. When I look back I can only say that Frederik, Pascal and Luk and later Marie-Jeanne managed to put a platform that is now an established value in Bucharest.

I met Luk and I was charmed with his efforts and persistence to develop the Belgian "drink" in a networking platform in Bucharest. We created a name and the result is a unique formula and a new way to network and to invite clients and friends on the events of the Belgian Connection.

I was grateful to receive an early invitation from the 'Belgian Connection'. The new and aspiring business club strikes me as a modern and open community of able business people, who take an interest in doing business, but also in making their personal best of their stay in Romania.

Less than two weeks after taking up my post as Belgian ambassador to Romania, I was invited to attend the monthly meeting of the members of the Belgian Connection, in the Novotel Hotel.

I received a very warm welcome by Mr. Luc Vangansbeke and Mr. Freddy Jacobs, who introduced me tot a number of Belgian and Romanian businessmen, and to whom I want to express my sincere thanks.

You will not hear me say that Romania is the Promised Land, but in my opinion it is for sure a country with a promising future.

Compared to 1998, the very beginning of our activities in the country, today Bucharest is an entirely changed city.  Where the Belgian pioneers called the city and country (with all due respect) ‘the Wild East’, today the place is still ‘wild’ and ‘East’, but reforms and the market economy have hit hard.  Enthusiasm and hard work no longer are sufficient to succeed here.

When the Accord Group asked to run the first Novotel in Romania I refused. Until they called again after 14 days….

As I walked the networking event in july I thought that it is good to give future networkers some tips to optimize their networking effort at the Belgian Connection business club.

Now the business world has its own equivalent for card-collecting executives in Bucuresti, the capital of Romania. The second meeting will be in September 2008 in Bucuresti.

The name of the club is Belgian Connection.