State visit of TRH the Grand Duke and Grand Duchess to the Kingdom of Belgium – Third 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.

Thursday 18 April 2024

In the early morning, HM the King of the Belgians and HRH the Grand Duke will visit Melsbroek air base, where the bi-national A400M unit of the 15th Air Transport Wing of the Defence of the Kingdom of Belgium is stationed. The sovereigns are welcomed by its commander, Air Force Colonel Bruno Beeckmans, the Minister of Defence of the Kingdom of Belgium, Ludivine Dedonder, Minister Yuriko Backes, Major General Thierry Dupont, Commander of the Belgian Air Force, and the Mayor of the municipality of Steenokkerzeel, Kurt Ryon. Luxembourg and Belgium have been cooperating closely for decades in the field of defence. In particular, the two countries will be setting up a bi-national combat reconnaissance battalion. HRH the Grand Duke and the King of the Belgians attend several presentations. They are first briefed on the Luxembourg police's Airbus H145M helicopter, then on the activities of the Belgian Explosive Ordnance Disposal Service (SEDEE) and the Luxembourg army's Demining Service (SEDAL). They are then given a demonstration of the Integrator drone and have the opportunity to meet three Luxembourg students currently undergoing ISTAR (Intelligence, Surveillance, Target Acquisition and Reconnaissance) training in Belgium. The visit to Melsbroeck also includes an exploration of an A400M flight simulator by HRH the Grand Duke and HM the King of the Belgians.

For his part, the Minister for the Economy, Lex Delles, is holding a bilateral meeting in Liège with Thomas Dermine, Secretary of State for Recovery and Strategic Investments, with responsibility for Science Policy, assistant to the Minister for the Economy and Labour of the Kingdom of Belgium.

©MECO

HM the King of the Belgians and HRH the Grand Duke then travel to Liège, where they are welcomed by the Governor, Hervé Jamar, and the Mayor, Willy Demeyer. They visit the University of Liège to attend the opening of a seminar on security and defence challenges in and from space. Ministers Xavier Bettel, Lex Delles and Yuriko Backes, along with their Belgian counterparts Thomas Dermine and Ludivine Dedonder, are among the participants in this seminar, which aims to bring together Belgian and Luxembourg partners from the space, cybersecurity and defence ecosystems to highlight joint projects and seek new opportunities for cooperation that will bring added value to both countries. Opening speeches by these four ministers are followed by a thematic panel entitled "Protection of critical space assets" attended by the Belgian and Luxembourg Ministers of Defence, and a round table on "Secure communications" attended by HRH the Grand Duke, HM the King of the Belgians, Xavier Bettel, Lex Delles and Thomas Dermine and moderated by Marc Serres, CEO of the Luxembourg space agency.

On the fringes of the seminar, a memorandum of understanding is signed between HITEC Luxembourg and AMOS, a Liege-based company well known for its telescopes and optical space systems, on the joint development and marketing of a common optical antenna, in the presence of Lex Delles and Thomas Dermine.

©MECO

HRH the Grand Duchess and HM the Queen of the Belgians also visit the organisation Child Focus in Brussels, before moving on to Liège. This Belgian charitable foundation is dedicated to finding missing children and combating the sexual exploitation of minors, both online and offline. The Grand Duchess and the Queen are received by the Chairman of Child Focus, Baron François Cornelis, and the Foundation's Director General, Heidi De Pauw. They are given the opportunity to find out about the foundation's various missions and achievements, and to visit its offices.

The State visit concludes with a themed lunch at the Palais des Princes évêques, the headquarters of the Liège provincial administration, in the presence of the grand-ducal couple and the royal couple. The lunch, hosted by the Governor of the Province of Liège, Hervé Jamer, and the Mayor of Liège, Willy Demeyer, focuses on cross-border cooperation and co-development between Belgium and Luxembourg.

After a final meeting with the people of Liège, TRH the Grand Duke and Grand Duchess take leave of Their Majesties the King and Queen of the Belgians on Place Saint-Lambert before returning to Luxembourg.

 

Press release by the Information and Press Service