French President Emmanuel Macron welcomes the Belgian King Philippe and Queen Mathilde, Paris, October 14, 2024 (POOL / Louise Delmotte)
Belgian King Philippe and Queen Mathilde began a three-day state visit to France on Monday, which aims to “deepen the bilateral relationship”, particularly in terms of defense and energy transition.
The royal couple, arriving by train in Paris, were welcomed by President Emmanuel Macron and his wife Brigitte at the Arc de Triomphe under a generous autumn sun.
The two heads of state laid a wreath in the colors of the two countries and rekindled the flame in front of the tomb of the Unknown Soldier to the sound of national anthems. “The King, the Law, Liberty!” and “Come on, children of the Fatherland!” then sounded.
The royal couple was then welcomed at the Elysée Palace by Emmanuel and Brigitte Macron for an interview. A state dinner – which Belgian Prime Minister Alexander De Croo will attend – will be served in their honor in the evening at the Elysée.
In the meantime, the king, accompanied by six ministers, will “consult with Prime Minister Michel Barnier on bilateral relations as well as European and international issues” over lunch at Matignon, Belgian diplomacy announced.
Since the failure of the Macronist camp in the legislative elections and the formation of a coalition with the right, Emmanuel Macron has lost part of his powers to the benefit of the Prime Minister, particularly in economic matters, and is now focusing on his reserved domain, the Foreign Affairs and Defense.
– Strategic partners –
The last state visit to France by a Belgian sovereign dates back to 2003, when Albert II and his wife Paola, Philippe’s parents, were welcomed by Jacques Chirac. Emmanuel and Brigitte Macron, for their part, made a state visit in 2018 to Belgium.
King Philippe of Belgium and French President Emmanuel Macron (right) attend a ceremony at the tomb of the Unknown Soldier at the Arc de Triomphe in Paris, October 14, 2024 (POOL / Louise DELMOTTE)
“This trip constitutes a new opportunity to celebrate the fraternal friendship which unites France and Belgium, a friendship based on a common history and geography, as well as on a cultural and linguistic heritage which brings the two countries together,” noted the presidency French.
It will make it possible to “deepen the bilateral defense and security relationship, the density of economic and commercial exchanges as well as academic, scientific and innovation cooperation, which contribute to European sovereignty,” she underlined.
The two countries intend in particular to deepen their relationship in “the field of energy transition and defense”, specified Belgian diplomacy.
In the afternoon, the King will participate in a debate on bilateral military cooperation in the presence of the Chiefs of Staff of the two Armies, she said.
On this occasion, he will be presented with four military vehicles, which “serve as an example of the interoperability of Belgian and French land units,” she noted.
– “Champion terrestre” –
France and Belgium signed an agreement in May for the production of small caliber munitions and announced their desire to strengthen their strategic partnership in land weapons.
The two countries have been linked since 2018 by a partnership called “CaMo” which initially focused only on Belgium’s acquisition of French Griffon and Jaguar armored vehicles and was extended in 2024 to Serval vehicles and Caesar cannons.
The Belgian industrial group John Cockerill also finalized in July the acquisition of the French Arquus, which produces elements of the Caesar cannons and the Griffon and Jaguar armored vehicles, in order to create a “European land champion”
Competitiveness, reindustrialization, decarbonization of the economy: the royal stay will also cover with conferences and company visits, particularly in Lille (north), several major current themes of the European Union, according to the Belgian royal palace.
With this stay in France, Philippe, who has reigned in Belgium since 2013, completes a cycle of state visits to all neighboring countries – after Germany, the Netherlands and Luxembourg – which are all investors and commercial partners of foreground.
France and Belgium share a common border of more than 600 km. Around 39,000 French people go to Belgium every day to work and 8,000 Belgians make the opposite journey, according to official figures communicated on the Belgian side.
At the economic level, Belgium is the leading foreign investor in the Hauts-de-France region, the stop on the last day of the state visit on Wednesday.
