Informal Council of the Ministers of Foreign Affairs (Gymnich): conclusions
Today, Friday 3 September, Deputy Prime Minister and Minister of Foreign Affairs Sophie Wilmès and her fellow ministers met at the invitation of the Slovenian presidency in Brdo, Slovenia, for a Gymnich, a half-yearly informal meeting of the Council of Foreign Affairs. Among other things, the ministers discussed the situation in Afghanistan, the relationship between the EU and the Gulf States and…
NATO ministerial: Afghanistan
Today, Friday 20 August, Deputy Prime Minister and Foreign Secretary Sophie Wilmès attended NATO’s extraordinary Foreign Affairs ministerial meeting by video conference, which was organised following the situation in Afghanistan.
This meeting gave the Deputy Prime Minister the opportunity to discuss access for our flights to Kabul Airport and the operation of the airport itself with the…
Extraordinary Foreign Affairs Council: Afghanistan
Deputy Prime Minister and Foreign Secretary Sophie Wilmès attended an extraordinary meeting of the Foreign Affairs Council (FAC) on Tuesday 17 August by video conference, which was organised following the latest developments in Afghanistan, where the radical-Islamist Taliban have gained control of the country after a rapid advance.
Procedures for evacuating citizens are underway in various EU…
Equal Rights Coalition: committed to LGBTIQ rights
Dear colleagues,
Excellencies,
It a pleasure to see that five years after its creation, the Equal Rights Coalition is being consolidated and reinvigorated.
This comes at a critical time, when in many places, including in Europe, the advancement of LGBTIQ rights is stagnating or even regressing. The Coalition can and must play its part in turning around this worrisome trend. We therefore welcome…
Seminar on the EU Strategic Compass
Distinguished Guests,
Ladies and Gentlemen,
Let me first wish you all a warm welcome. My colleague, Minister of Defence Ludivine Dedonder, and myself are particularly proud to gather such a large and knowledgeable audience here today.
As I understand, it is the first time ever that civil servants from both the Ministries of Foreign Affairs and the Ministries of Defense of the 27 Member States…
Generation Equality Forum: Belgium renews commitment to women’s rights
25 years ago, we committed ourselves to taking bold steps to achieve gender equality. Although we have made progress, no country has managed to fully implement the Beijing Platform for Action.
Belgium welcomes today’s historic opportunity to renew its commitment and to continue its work to make human rights a reality for all women and girls.
The fight against gender-based violence will…
Eighteen countries unite at Belgium’s initiative to defend LGBTIQ rights in Europe
18 European Union Member States, at the initiative of Belgium, expressed their deep concern in a joint declaration about the adoption by the Hungarian Parliament of amendments that discriminate against LGBTIQ people and violate the right to freedom of expression under the pretext of protecting children. Member States condemn the new legislation as a blatant form of discrimination and…
Report on the bilateral visit to Spain
Deputy Prime Minister and Minister for Foreign Affairs Sophie Wilmès made a bilateral visit to Spain on Wednesday 2 June. In 2021, Belgium and Spain are celebrating the centenary of their respective embassies in Madrid and Brussels. “I am convinced that this momentum will give new impetus to our bilateral relations and further strengthen them,” said Sophie Wilmès.
The mission began…
NATO June Summit Preparatory Ministerial meeting: Conclusions
On Tuesday 1 June, the Deputy Prime Minister and Minister for Foreign Affairs, Sophie Wilmès, participated in a video conference at the NATO Foreign Affairs Ministerial meeting, which sought to prepare the discussions of the Summit of Heads of State and Government on 14 June in Brussels, and in particular the actions that will be implemented within the framework of the NATO 2030 initiative to…
Informal Council of the European Foreign Affairs Ministers of 27 May: conclusions
This Thursday 27 May, at the invitation of the Portuguese Presidency, the Deputy Prime Minister and Minister of Foreign Affairs, Sophie Wilmès, joined her European colleagues at the informal half-yearly Council (Gymnich) in Lisbon. The ministers had the opportunity – in the presence of their Jordanian counterpart – to discuss topical issues such as the Middle East peace process and…