Federal Public Service Foreign Affairs

Five months after the start of the conflict in Tigray, more and more testimonies about extreme violence are coming forward. Therefore, Minister of Development Cooperation Meryame Kitir has decided to increase the funds for the International Committee of the Red Cross (ICRC) by four million euros specifically for the reception and protection of victims.

On Thursday 1 April, Deputy Prime Minister and Minister of Foreign Affairs Sophie Wilmès spoke with her counterpart Gabrielius Landsbergis, Minister of Foreign Affairs of Lithuania. The two ministers reviewed the bilateral and regional cooperation, including between the Benelux countries and the Baltic States, of which they each hold the Presidency. Finally, the two ministers discussed several international issues on the European agenda, notably Belarus, China and the response to the COVID-19 pandemic.

On March 30, 2021, Deputy Prime Minister and Minister of Foreign Affairs Sophie Wilmès co-chaired with US Secretary of State Antony Blinken a virtual ministerial meeting of the International Coalition to defeat Daesh. This meeting in restricted format brings together the 32 States and international organizations most involved in its action.

On the occasion of the fifth Brussels Conference on Syria ('Supporting the Future of Syria and the Region'), Deputy Prime Minister and Minister of Foreign Affairs Sophie Wilmès and Minister of Development Cooperation Meryame Kitir announced today 18 million euro in additional humanitarian aid for the Syrian people. They stressed that a permanent solution to the conflict is only possible if all parties involved take responsibility and return to credible diplomatic negotiations.

Deputy Prime Minister and Minister of Foreign Affairs Sophie Wilmès received her American counterpart Antony Blinken at the Egmont Palace today for a first bilateral meeting. Both ministers participated in the NATO ministerial for the past two days. It is Secretary Blinken's first visit to Europe since the Biden administration took office.

Belgium celebrates this year 120 years of diplomatic relations with South Korea. On March 23, 1901, Belgium and Korea signed a treaty of Friendship, Commerce and Navigation.

On this International Day for the Elimination of Racial Discrimination, March 21, current events remind us to be vigilant in the face of words and actions that remain unacceptable and unfortunately affect all societies. If the fight against racism is part of our values as a central pillar of our democracies, it is also a legal obligation for Belgium, since our country ratified the International Convention on the Elimination of All Forms of Racial Discrimination in 1975 and has a legal framework for the fight against racism. In 2020, at the initiative of former Prime Minister Sophie Wilmès, Belgium established an inter-ministerial conference on the fight against racism and anti-Semitism to better coordinate the actions of the country's various authorities in this area. They are currently working on an inter-federal action plan. We must indeed continue our efforts in Belgium.

In view of its difficulties in dealing with the COVID-19 pandemic in its hospitals, Slovakia has activated the European Civil Protection Mechanism (ECPM). The request formiulated is a temporary reinforcement of the intensive care capacities (related to COVID-19).