Belgian King Philippe and Queen Mathilde began a three-day state visit to France on Monday, which aims to “deepen their bilateral relationship”, particularly in matters of defense and the economy.
They started this visit with a welcome ceremony at the Arc de Triomphe in Paris in the presence of President Emmanuel Macron and his wife Brigitte. The royal couple, who arrived by train from Brussels, and the presidential couple first exchanged a few words. The King and the French Head of State then conducted a review of the troops before the traditional wreath-laying – just one in the colors of the two countries – and rekindling of the flame in front of the tomb of the Unknown Soldier.
A state dinner at the Élysée and lunch at Matignon
The King and Queen of the Belgians will then be welcomed at the Élysée Palace by Emmanuel and Brigitte Macron for a joint interview between the two couples. A state dinner will also be served in their honor in the evening at the Élysée. In the meantime, the royal couple will meet Prime Minister Michel Barnier over lunch at Matignon.
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.
A visit to deepen relations between the two countries
“This trip constitutes a new opportunity to celebrate the fraternal friendship that unites France and Belgium,” underlined the French presidency. It will “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 added.
The two countries intend in particular to deepen their relationship, including at the European level, in “the field of energy transition and defense”, specified the Belgian Ministry of Foreign Affairs. Competitiveness, reindustrialization, decarbonization of the economy: the three-day stay will cover several major current EU themes with conferences and company visits, particularly in Lille (North), according to the Belgian royal palace.
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.
