Considering that this year's National Day of Romania, 1^st of December, will be celebrated under pandemic restrictions, the Maramureș County Council launched the "Colț de Maramureș / Maramureș Corner" project at Romanian diplomatic missions abroad. "Maramureș Corner" represents an exhibition of Maramureș-specific handicraft items, including: traditional shirt, towel, hat, scarf, necklaces, bag, plate, spindle, miniature Maramureș gate and wooden church, seal, and the tricolor cockade.

The Romanian diplomatic missions that chose to get involved in this year's Maramureș County Council project by presenting the "Maramureș Corner" exhibition are in: Austria, Israel, Russia, USA, Hungary, and the United Kingdom.

The Maramureș County Council, through the Maramureș County Museum of Ethnography and Popular Art and the County Center for the Conservation and Promotion of Traditional Culture "Liviu Borlan" Maramureș, celebrates Romania's National Day, as well as 140 years of diplomatic relations between Romania and Spain, by touring the exhibition "Maramureș: Traditions and Stories."

Partners in this project to promote Maramureș's cultural identity include the Embassy of Romania in the Kingdom of Spain, the Consulate General of Romania in Bilbao, in partnership with the Parliament of Cantabria, and the Honorary Consulate of Romania in Santander.

The exhibition inauguration, organized at the Parliament Palace in Santander, took place on 1^st of December 2021 and can be visited from 1^st to 10^th of December 2021.

On 1^st of October 2021: Marian Popescu, Consul General of Romania in Bilbao, Susana Herran Martin, Mayor of Castro Urdiales, Sancho Mitchell de Diego, Honorary Consul of Romania in Santander, Mădălin Șelaru, priest of the Romanian Orthodox parish in Castro Urdiales, Monica Mare, manager of the Maramureș County Museum of Ethnography and Popular Art, and Anamaria Nagy, the exhibition's curator were present at the exhibition's opening, as well as members of the Romanian community in Castro Urdiales.

On 9^th of July 2021, the Maramureș County Council management received the visit of a Slovak delegation composed of Karol Mistrik – Ambassador of the Slovak Republic in Bucharest, Adrian Miroslav Merka – President of the Democratic Union of Slovaks and Czechs in Romania and Member of the Romanian Parliament, and Miroslav Jabloncik – Honorary Consul of the Slovak Republic in Oradea.

The Maramureș County Council collaborates very well with partners from Slovakia within the MOBI – Modern Border Infrastructure project and also promotes the initiation of the Carpathian Mountains Macroregion Strategy, which is supported by a joint resolution and all SK8 regions in Slovakia. The development of collaborative relations between the Maramureș County Council and regions in the Slovak Republic in fields such as economy, culture, and tourism, as well as the consolidation of a partnership to promote cultural heritage, especially the common cultural elements between the two regions, represents an important objective for the Maramureș County Council.

During the meeting, which took place on 22^nd of June 2021, the main topics discussed were the collaborative relations between Maramureș and the Podkarpackie Voivodeship in the Republic of Poland, a region twinned with Maramureș County, the bilateral Romanian-Polish relations, and the macro-regional strategy for the Carpathian Mountains region. Additionally, attracting Polish investors to the industrial parks that will be established in Maramureș represents new opportunities for economic growth and the development of collaborative relations between Romania and Poland.

Between 1^st and 2^nd of June 2021, President Ionel Ovidiu Bogdan, together with a delegation from the Maramureș County Council, took part to the celebration of 140 years of Romanian-Spanish diplomacy, offering the Romanian Cultural Institute in Madrid a photographic exhibition - "Maramureș: Traditions and Stories", created by the County Center for the Conservation and Promotion of Traditional Culture "Liviu Borlan", showcasing the wooden churches of Maramureș, listed as UNESCO World Heritage sites. The exhibition "Maramureș: Traditions and Stories" will also have a second part featuring traditional Maramureș objects. The exhibition is offered by the Maramureș County Museum of Ethnography and Popular Art and will be on display in Madrid from July 5 to August 5.

On this occasion, the delegation from Maramureș visited the Sorting Station in Colmenar Viejo and held discussions on waste management and how the Spanish manage the entire process of waste sorting and compacting.

Another important meeting on the visit's agenda was with Ignacio Vasquez Casavilla, the mayor of Torrejón de Ardoz, a city with a significant Romanian community.

Ionel Ovidiu Bogdan, President of the Maramureș County Council, together with Vlad Duruș, Prefect of Maramureș County and Enikö-Erzsébet Krizsanovszk, Deputy Prefect of Maramureș County, received the official visit of the representatives of the Ukrainian Embassy in Romania on 26^th of March 2021. Paun Rohovei, the Chargé d'Affaires, and Pavlo Nekrasov and Petro Stoian the secretaries of the Ukrainian Embassy were also present at the meeting. The discussion topics aimed on strengthening cooperation between Romania and Ukraine, which will have a beneficial impact on economic relations, the development of Ukrainian education in Romania, the development of cultural projects, and the protection of Ukrainian minorities in Romania. One of the main objectives for the development of Maramureș is the construction of the bridge over the Tisza River. This cross-border project will facilitate border crossing, bring enormous benefits in logistics, and implicitly, in trade.

On 2^nd of February 2021, representatives of the Economic Mission of the Israeli Embassy in Romania held an online virtual meeting with designated representatives of the Maramureș County Council and hospital managers under its authority to identify common points of cooperation in the medical field. Common interests were addressed, with a focus on medical cooperation. Discussions focused on identifying ways in which the expertise of Israeli companies can be utilized in the activities of hospitals in Maramureș, finding solutions for implementing telemedicine, interest in equipping with specific high-performance equipment, experience exchanges (second-opinion type), digitization, and the protection and security of patients' medical data and information. Following fruitful discussions, the representatives of the Economic Mission of the Israeli Embassy in Romania promised to launch a "company-scouting" research project to facilitate appropriate contacts and present collaboration opportunities to the hospitals under the County Council's authority.

The President of the Maramureș County Council, Ionel Ovidiu Bogdan, met on 26^th of October 2020, with the Israeli Ambassador in Romania, David Saranga, who was visiting Maramureș County to initiate discussions with the county administration to identify future cooperation opportunities.

The discussions took place in the Vaser Valley, a unique place of natural beauty, which could become an attraction for Israeli tourists. Cooperation in the fields of tourism, health, and technology between Israel and the Maramureș county administration were among the main topics of discussion between the President of the Maramureș County Council, Ionel Ovidiu Bogdan and Ambassador David Saranga.

The history of the Jewish communities in Maramureș, specifically in the Sighetu Marmației and Vișeu de Sus areas, was also an important topic, and the Memorial House Elefant in Vișeu de Sus was visited in this context.

The President of the Maramureș County Council conveyed openness towards Israeli investors, encouraging them to come to Maramureș and discover the opportunities the county has in the areas of tourism infrastructure and complementary services.

On 30^th of August 2020, the ambassadors from the People's Republic of Bangladesh, the Republic of Indonesia, the Republic of Malaysia, and the Islamic Republic of Pakistan were received by Gabriel Valer Zetea, President of the Maramureș County Council, during their familiarization visit with the economic environment of Maramureș County. Following the discussions, concrete steps were proposed for cooperation with the diplomatic representatives present at the Administrative Palace. Thus, an exchange of information at the level of resources and economic interests will take place, and in the near future, specific areas of economic cooperation will be established and support for establishing contacts with the business environment at the bilateral level will be provided. Another point of interest focused on educational cooperation, considering that all the present embassies support various student exchange programs and bilateral scholarships.

Mister Gabriel Valer Zetea, the President of the Maramureș County Council and mister Ioan-Silviu Ungur, the Prefect of Maramureș County met on 3^rd of August 2020, with Mister Pavel Rohovei, the Ukrainian Chargé d'Affaires in Romania, who was on a working visit to Maramureș. The discussions aimed at establishing direct and lasting working contacts with county authorities to boost and promote cooperation links at the local level as well.

Mister Pavel Rohovei thanked the President of the Maramureș County Council for his involvement in the issues of the Ukrainian community, especially regarding the "Taras Shevchenko" High School in Sighetu Marmației. At the end of the meeting, the parties agreed to support common projects beneficial to the people of Maramureș, especially the road bridge over Tisza River.

On 11^th of May 2020, the Maramureș County Council received a donation of 20,000 non-medical masks from nine associations in China, facilitated by the Embassy of the People's Republic of China in Bucharest. These masks will be distributed and used in the subordinate cultural institutions of Maramureș County Council that need to reopen their activities after the state of emergency ends, as well as by the Maramureș County Council staff to prevent the spread of the new coronavirus. The gesture from the Chinese side represents a sign of gratitude and appreciation for the good cooperation relations established by the County Council's executive with the People's Republic of China through both working meetings and by supporting the collaboration of companies with Chinese partners, as well as the Chinese language teaching courses in Maramureș.

Medical staff from 40 hospitals in Romania participated in a videoconference with Chinese doctors on 16th of April 2020, focusing on the treatment of patients who tested positive for the new coronavirus. The videoconference was possible as a result of a local initiative of Maramureș County Council, Baia Mare City Hall, and the Maramureș Branch of the Romania-China Chamber of Commerce and Industry, which contacted the Chinese Embassy in Romania to request this type of support for Maramureș doctors. This initiative was highlighted at the beginning of the videoconference when the Ambassador of the People's Republic of China in Romania, His Excellency Jiang Yu, expressed his appreciation for the good cooperation with Maramureș County and Baia Mare Municipality.

Three hospitals from Baia Mare, on the front line of combating the pandemic, namely "Dr. Constantin Opriș" Emergency County Hospital, Hospital for Infectious Diseases and Psychiatry and "Dr. Nicolae Rusdea" Pneumoftiziology Hospital, were represented by medical staff at the videoconference.

The doctors who took part in the videoconference commended the initiative of the Maramureș local authorities and the Maramureș Branch of the Romania-China Chamber of Commerce and Industry, appreciating the usefulness of the information provided by the two Chinese doctors who treated patients at the epicenter of the coronavirus pandemic.

José Arnau, the Honorary Consul of Spain, made his second working visit to Maramureș on 10^th of February 2020. He was received by the Vice President of the County Council, Ioan-Doru Dăncuș. Discussions were held about the actions taken by the consul to initiate international flights to and from Spain and Maramureș International Airport. Another topics were identifying potential investors in Maramureș for the creation of an industrial park and the openness of the Province of Castellon for a potential twinning with Maramureș County.

On 28^th of January 2020, in the M1 Conference Hall of the Baia Mare City Hall, His Excellency Andrei Grinkevich, Extraordinary and Plenipotentiary Ambassador of the Republic of Belarus in Romania, met with representatives of local and county administrations as well as business environment representatives. The purpose of the meeting was to initiate new bilateral cooperation partnerships between cities and regions in Republic of Belarus and Baia Mare Municipality and Maramureș County. In this regard, the areas of interest for the meeting included potential collaborations in a wide range of fields such as economic, tourism, medical, culture, education, agriculture, transport, IT, etc. Andrei Grinkevich made a presentation of the Republic of Belarus, emphasizing the development of higher education and the development of industry. His Excellency stated that Romania ranks seventh among the countries with which the Republic of Belarus conducts economic exchanges.

Between 16^th - 17^th November 2019, Maramureș County Council and coordinated cultural institutions met with the Romanian community of Milan (Italy) within the framework of the project “Longing for România- Maramureș’’ and Diaspora, an action co-financed by the Ministry for Romanians Abroad. The support shown by the Romanian Consulate to Milan for this action made it possible for diaspora to reconnect with forgotten traditions of their homeland.

On the 25^th of October 2019 H.E, the Ambassador of the People’s Republic of China, Mrs. Jiang Yu, met with the business environment from our county as the local branch of the Romanian – Chinese Chamber of Commerce has been set up.

The meeting was mutually appreciated as has given opportunity for both sides to establish potential economic exchanges.

Between the 3^rd - 4^th of October 2019, a delegation of Maramures County Council has participated in Washington (USA) to the 2019 "Alliance Gala" and subsidiary events that were hosted by H.E, Mr. George Maior, the Ambassador.

His Excellency was extremely familiar with the efforts of our county to promote a positive image of Maramures abroad, consequently a mutual agreement has been made to support these efforts to the benefit of the Romanian diaspora.

On the 9^th of May 2019, with the support of the European Commission Representation in Romania, and the Romanian Embassy in the Grand Duchy of Luxemburg, Maramures displayed within the event “Fete de L’Europe” its most valuable cultural traditions and local cuisine.

Between the 13^th - 16^th of December 2018, representatives of Maramures County Council and the mayor of Ieud, accompanied by a local famous performer and group of artists were received by H.E, Mr. George Gabriel Bologan, and the Romanian Ambassador to Italy. The artists were given the opportunity to perform traditional carols from Maramures, being also present at a local traditional event that took place in the famous Church Palace.

Between the 22^nd - 26^th of October 2018, representatives of Maramures county and the Baia Mare branch of the Cluj Napoca University introduced a project dedicated to our local promoter of the Union, Vasile Lucaciu to H.E Daniele Verga, the Ambassador and diplomatic counsellor of the Grand Chancellor of the Order of Malta.

A special recognition has been awarded to Romanian branch of the Maltese Corps and has been suggested that a cooperation agreement should be signed between the Maltese Corps and the Maramures County Council for future project. H.E. Mr Danielle Verga has shown his support towards this initiative.

H.E., Mr. Marco Giungi, the ambassador of Italy in Romania has been present on the 15^th of August 2019, for the third edition of the "Reunion of the locals of Borșa” and to a festival dedicated to a local delicacy – mushrooms where he meet the president of Maramures County Council.

The president of Maramures County Council, met on the 4^th of April 2019, with H.E, Mr Fuad Karim Saliba Kokaly, Ambassador of the State of Palestine in Romania, on the first visit of His Excellency in Maramures. This was a perfect opportunity to highlight the possibility of bilateral cooperation among municipalities from Palestine and Romania, while a potential collaboration in the field of culture has been identified between Maramures and regions from Palestine.

Between the 9^th - 10^th October 2018, H.E., Mr. Oleksandr Bankov, the Ambassador of Ukraine in Romania, visited our county in order to strengthen the bilateral cooperation. The visit continued in Sighetu Marmației, where H.E. met the local authority and the representatives of the Ukrainian minority. On this occasion, H.E., the Ambassador, officially launched on exhibition dedicated to the victims of Holodomor of 1932 – 1933 and visited Taras Șevcenko Ukrainian High school.