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BELGIAN ECONOMIC MISSION

presided by Her Royal Highness Princess Astrid, Representative of His Majesty the King

"Although this new webpage was launched in dire economic times, now that the pandemic is jeopardizing much of our established commercial paths and patterns, we should look forward with confidence and prepare for a vigorous restart.

My thoughts are with the Belgian trade missions and their numerous participants, who became familiar and dear to me during the last 6 years. Many of you have suffered difficulties, many promising prospects of our recent missions might be put temporarily on hold.

Nevertheless, let us hope for the missions to resume soon in 2021. For my part, together with you I stand ready, with dedication and enthusiasm, to travel again with you, to support the agencies and the companies, to make up for business lost during the pandemic while exploring new opportunities."

Astrid of Belgium

Photographer: Shimera-Ansotte

About

Upcoming missions

Latest news: 18/02

Latest news: 04/02

New advisor for

HRH Princess Astrid

Ambassador Dirk Wouters has been appointed as the new advisor of Her Royal Highness Princess Astrid. Ambassador Wouters is an economist and lawyer by training. He began his 40-year professional career in the consular department at the Ministry of Foreign Affairs in 1980, left twice in post for Rome and worked as Deputy Permanent Representative of Belgium to the United Nations in New York from 1995 till 2000. He held different high level postings in European affairs and became an active Permanent Representative of Belgium to the European Union from 2011 to 2016.

Moreover, he has a lot of academic experience with numerous guest lectures at American and European universities. Recently he created the innovative America-Europe Fund at the KU Leuven.

From September 2016 until September 2020 he was the Ambassador of Belgium to the United States of America and the Commonwealth of the Bahama’s. In this capacity he hosted the Belgian Economic Mission to Texas from 3 to 11 December 2016. As her new advisor, Ambassador Wouters will accompany HRH Princess Astrid during the upcoming Belgian Economic Missions.

In this capacity, he succeeds to former Ambassador Jan Matthysen.

Action plan for the upcoming Belgian Economic Missions

Unfortunately, the COVID-19 crisis brought travel and relocation restrictions abroad this year, making the organization of the two Belgian Economic Missions and the two State visits in 2020 impossible.

In the hope that the pandemic will evolve favorably in the coming months, a new program of the Belgian Economic Missions was drawn up in consultation with our partners.

In 2021 two Belgian Economic Missions presided by HRH Princess Astrid, Representative of His Majesty the King, will be organized by the BFTA in close cooperation with the FPS Foreign Affairs, Flanders Investment & Trade, AWEX, and hub.Brussels.

In 2022, 3 Belgian Economic Missions are scheduled.

You will find the action plan 2021 - 2022 below:

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