​French Ambassador to Bosnia and Herzegovina Christine Toudic paid a visit to Bijeljina today, and talked to the management of the City Administration. She announced a future cooperation in economy, commerce, culture, and other fields.
 
“The City of Bijeljina is a champion in studying French and I am really happy about it. It is a great opportunity for this city and the future of young people, because they could study in French. French is not only the language of literature, it is a language of business world, internet, and 300 million people on five continents speak this language. Because the City of Bijeljina is a champion in number of students who learn French, we are going to start a cooperation with the City of Bijeljina”, said the French Ambassador and added that she talked to the Mayor Ljubiša Petrović about a number of cooperation opportunities, and that she will develop this cooperation enthusiastically.
 
Mayor Petrović expressed his great gratitude to Toudic for her visit, concluding that in this way Bijeljina got a strong support of the French Embassy.
 
“This cooperation will be stronger in the time to come, through specific projects related to the popularisation of the French language and culture, and creation of a better economic environment. We asked the French Ambassador to use her authority to strengthen this cooperation together with the competent departments of the City Administration and the French Embassy in BiH”, Petrović pointed out, and announced that the permits for starting business activities in Bijeljina will be issued quicker than earlier.
“Our potential investors will be welcomed by new business-industrial zones. Bijeljina has potentials in arable agricultural land and rivers, and additional effort is needed to resolve the issue of geo-thermal water source in Dvorovi Spa, which we want to develop into a modern health-tourist centre”, said the Mayor. He warned about the necessity to decrease the number of unemployed people.
“We want to decrease the number of unemployed people registered by the Employment Service in Bijeljina. The French Embassy has promised to cooperate with the competent departments of the city to make many steps together related to economy and culture, as well as the things that will enable the young people who learn French to stay in the territory of the City, welcome their young peers from France and their businessmen who will make their investments here”, said Petrović, stating that as soon as the next year we can expect specific results of the cooperation.