State Visit to France

A day-to-day collaboration in a multitude of areas, in the light of excellent neighbourliness and common values.

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A day-to-day collaboration in a multitude of areas, in the light of excellent neighbourliness and common values.

From October 14 to 16, 2024, His Majesty the King and Her Majesty the Queen of the Belgians will pay a State Visit to France.

During the course of their visit, the Belgian royal couple will be accompanied by several ministers and ministers-president:

  • the Prime Minister, Mr. Alexander De Croo;
  • the Deputy Prime Minister and Federal Minister for Small and Medium-Sized Businesses, the Self-Employed, SMEs and Agriculture, Institutional Reform and Democratic Renewal, Mr. David Clarinval;
  • the Federal Minister for Foreign Affairs, European Affairs and Foreign Trade and the Federal Cultural Institutions, Ms. Hadja Lahbib;
  • the Minister-President of the Brussels-Capital Region, Mr. Rudi Vervoort;
  • the Minister-President of the French Community, Mrs. Élisabeth Degryse;
  • the Minister-President of the Walloon Government, Mr. Adrien Dolimont;
  • the Minister-President of the Flemish Government, Mr. Matthias Diependaele;
  • the Secretary of State for Digitalisation, in charge of Administrative Simplification, Privacy and the Buildings Agency, Mr. Mathieu Michel.

Representatives of industry and academia will also participate.

Belgium and France share a long common history and 620 km of borders, but so much more. The closeness of our ties and our rich bilateral, European and multilateral relations give this State Visit a special character. While this relationship is natural in many ways, it is nevertheless essential to pay attention to it and strengthen it even further. This State Visit will therefore make it possible to develop new political, economic and human links between Belgium and France.

The current Franco-Belgian relationship must also be seen in the light of its European dimension. Our two countries, founding members of the European Union, are its first defenders. Today, France and Belgium share the desire to strengthen the European Union.

The programme of this State Visit is an expression of the desire to deepen relations between our two countries, in a perspective that is resolutely focused on the future and on young people.

As such, there will be consultations on cooperation on a strong industrial policy and on the growing defence cooperation, both bilaterally and at European level, and during this visit there will be exchanges on ideas for innovative solutions for a sustainable energy transition, with the aim of decarbonising our companies.

At the academic level, emphasis will be placed on the role of youth in the cooperation between Belgian and French universities, through the strengthening of the alliances of European universities.

On a cultural level, the close ties between Belgium and France will be highlighted during a visit to the exhibition dedicated to Louise d'Orléans, the first Queen of the Belgians, at the Château de Chantilly.

During this three-day state visit, the Sovereigns will visit Paris, Chantilly and Lille. In the capital, they will meet with the highest French authorities, as well as the business, academic and cultural communities. The programme in Chantilly is of a cultural and historical nature. In the Lille metropolis, the royal couple will be welcomed by the local authorities and businessmen.
 

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