Newsroom

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.

Belgian Minister of Foreign Affairs and Defense Philippe Goffin and United States Ambassador to the Kingdom of Belgium Ronald Gidwitz signed a “preclearance” agreement on Monday that will allow passengers boarding flights from Brussels Airport to the United States to clear U.S. customs and immigration prior to embarkation in Brussels, and to save time upon arrival. This agreement, which has been under discussion for several years, will help further strengthen the already substantial trade and investment between the two countries and promote Brussels Airport as a trans-Atlantic hub.

The Minister of Foreign Affairs Philippe Goffin is deeply concerned by the repeated threats and new American measures against the International Criminal Court.

After two days at the United Nations in New York, Deputy Prime Minister and Minister of Foreign Affairs Didier Reynders will be today and tomorrow in Washington DC for political consultations. He met this morning his counterpart State Secretary Rex Tillerson.

Deputy Prime Minister and Minister of Foreign Affairs Didier Reynders travels today to the United States. His visit will last until Thursday 2nd of November. On Monday and Tuesday, the Minister will participate in events at the United Nations. From New York, the Minister will continue to Washington where he will meet with his counterpart State Secretary Rex Tillerson.

Deputy Prime Minister and Minister for Foreign Affairs Didier Reynders is shocked by the attack last night in the US city of Las Vegas. A lone attacker killed at least 50 people attending a music festival and injured hundreds of others, by shooting out of a hotel window.

Deputy Prime Minister and Minister of Foreign Affairs Didier Reynders and Secretary for Foreign Trade Pieter De Crem welcome the direct flights that will reconnect Brussels and Atlanta as from 25 March. The flights will be organized by Delta Airlines. This means that there will be seven direct flights departing from Brussels to the US (New York-JFK, New York- Newark Liberty, Washington – Dulles, Chicago – O’Hare, Atlanta, Orlando – Sanford, and Miami), with a total of 50 connections per week. In the summer months, there are daily flights to Atlanta and five per week in the winter. This direct connection illustrates the strong economic ties between Belgium and Atlanta/Georgia, where many Belgian companies are located.

A vast Belgian economic mission presided over by HRH Princess Astrid, as representative of His Majesty King Philippe, will head for Texas from 3 to 11 December 2016.