State visit of TRH the Grand Duke and Grand Duchess to the Kingdom of Belgium – Second day

The Vice Prime Minister, Minister for Foreign Affairs and Foreign Trade, Minister for Development Cooperation and Humanitarian Affairs, Xavier Bettel, the Minister of the Economy, SME, Energy and Tourism, Lex Delles, and the Minister of Defence, Minister for Mobility and Public Works, Minister for Gender Equality and Diversity, Yuriko Backes, are joining the Grand Ducal couple during the three-day State visit. Prime Minister Luc Frieden and the Minister of Finance, Gilles Roth, are also present at various points during the programme.

In addition to high-level political, economic and cultural meetings, the official programme includes company visits to Brussels, Ghent and Liège. As part of this State visit, a large economic delegation, comprising representatives of more than 125 companies active in the sectors of the circular economy, renewable energies, health technologies, finance, tourism, (cyber-)security, defence and space cooperation, is accompanying the Grand Ducal couple.

This is the second State visit to Belgium by TRH the Grand Duke and Grand Duchess, reflecting the excellent relations between Luxembourg and Belgium, who are close neighbours united by strong historical, political, socio-economic and cultural ties. In addition to consolidating long-standing partnerships, the State visit also provides an opportunity to highlight new areas of cooperation and to stimulate progress and innovation with the aim of ensuring sustainable growth that respects the environment.

Wednesday 17 April 2024

On the second day of the State visit, a breakfast meeting of financial services leaders is held at the Palais d'Egmont in Brussels, chaired by the Minister of Finance, Gilles Roth, and his Belgian counterpart, Vincent Van Peteghem, Deputy Prime Minister, Minister of Finance, responsible for Coordination and the Fight against Fraud and the National Lottery. HRH the Grand Duke and the King of the Belgians join them in the morning to discuss the Belgian and Luxembourg perspectives on economic financing.

Also at the Egmont Palace, HRH the Grand Duke and HM the King of the Belgians attend the opening of the Economic Forum entitled "Thriving Connections: Belgian-Luxembourg Economic relations". The keynote speeches are given by the Director General of the Federation of Enterprises in Belgium (FEB), Pieter Timmermans, the President of the Luxembourg Chamber of Commerce, Fernand Ernster, Belgian Minister Hadja Lahbib and Minister Xavier Bettel. The heads of state then met three pairs of Belgian and Luxembourg business leaders, who jointly present their cooperation projects. Meanwhile, the forum continues with, among others, a presentation by minister Lex Delles on the Luxembourg economy. It is followed by several parallel sessions focusing on tourism, health technologies, the circular economy and sustainable construction.

Meanwhile, HRH the Grand Duchess and HM the Queen of the Belgians are visiting the Palais des Beaux-Arts, also known as Bozar, to see the exhibition "Histoire de ne pas rire: le surréalisme en Belgique". The exhibition marks the 100th anniversary of surrealism, the poetic and artistic movement of the twentieth century that grew out of the revolt embodied by the Dada movement at the end of the First World War. They are joined by the exhibition's curator, Xavier Canonne.

Towards the end of the morning, HRH the Grand Duke and TM the King and Queen of the Belgians, accompanied by the ministerial delegation, travel to Ghent, in the province of East Flanders. They are welcomed by the Governor, Carina Van Cauter, and the Mayor, Mathias De Clercq.

The delegation first visits the North Sea Port Visitor Centre, where it attends a presentation of the port by Managing Director Daan Schalck. North Sea Port is one of Europe's ten largest seaports, stretching over an area 60 kilometres long from Vlissingen and Terneuzen in the Netherlands to Ghent in Belgium. The programme also features a visit to Anglo Belgian Corporation (ABC) Engines, a company founded in 1912 and specialising in the manufacture of powerful hydrogen and hybrid engines for the shipping and energy sectors. The visit takes place in the presence of the company's Managing Director, Tim Berckmoes.

The Grand Ducal couple and the Sovereigns of the Kingdom of Belgium are then welcomed to the Provincial House in Ghent, the seat of the province's central government, on the invitation of the Governor and Mayor of Ghent, to attend a themed lunch in the presence of Xavier Bettel, Lex Delles and Yuriko Backes. The topics discussed include the challenges facing the labour market and the energy sector in a sustainable economy. As part of the lunch, a letter of intent between Creos and Fluxys is signed in the presence of Lex Delles, Minister for the Economy, SME, Energy and Tourism and Tinne Van der Straeten, Minister for Energy of the Kingdom of Belgium.

The cultural programme also includes a visit to St Bavo's Cathedral, where TM the King and Queen of the Belgians and the HRH Grand Duke and Grand Duchess are welcomed by the Bishop of Ghent, Monsignor Lode Van Hecke. After a meeting with the locals on the Place Bavon, they take part in a guided tour of the cathedral and its "Adoration of the Mystic Lamb" in the presence of Xavier Bettel and Yuriko Backes. This masterpiece, painted between 1420 and 1432 by the brothers Jan and Hubert Van Eyck, is currently undergoing the third phase of its restoration. It is considered to be the pinnacle of fifteenth-century Flemish painting.

The State visit to the Kingdom of Belgium continues in Aalst, where HRH the Grand Duke is meeting the management of the Jan De Nul Group in the presence of ministers Xavier Bettel, Lex Delles and Yuriko Backes. Jan De Nul Group has become one of the world's leading dredging companies. In addition, the group also carries out onshore work, pipeline construction and marine salvage. The principles of a trailing rope and cutter dredger will be explained using two simulators as training and engineering tools.

The second day of the State visit concludes at the former Maison de la Radio in Brussels, known as Flagey and featuring several recording studios, including the famous Studio 4, which is renowned for its acoustics. The event features a concert by the Luxembourg Philharmonic Orchestra, followed by a cocktail reception hosted by the Grand Ducal couple in honour of HM the King and Queen of the Belgians.

Press release by the Information and Press Service