News

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.

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.

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.

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.

Intervention of Belgium on the occasion of the 65th session of the UN- Commission on the Status of Women.

The 14th United Nations Congress on Crime Prevention and Criminal Justice was held in Kyoto (Japan) from March 7 to 11, partly virtually. Deputy Prime Minister and Minister of Foreign Affairs Sophie Wilmès participated in an event organized by the United Nations Office on Drugs and Crime (UNODC) on the issue of falsified medical products.

Today, February 22, the 46th session of the UN Human Rights Council started in Geneva and will continue until March 23. On this occasion, Deputy Prime Minister and Minister of Foreign Affairs, Sophie addressed the ministerial part of the session. She presented the priorities of the Belgian government and shared some reflections on the current challenges in the field of human rights.

On Monday, 22 February, Deputy Prime Minister and Minister of Foreign Affairs Sophie Wilmès addressed the Conference on Disarmament in Geneva during its high-level segment.

Today, February 22nd, in the context of the Belgian Presidency of the Benelux, Belgian Minister of Foreign Affairs Sophie Wilmès invited the Prosecutor of the International Criminal Court (ICC), Ms. Fatou Bensouda, and her fellow EU Foreign Ministers for an informal meeting with the 27 EU Ministers ahead of the monthly Foreign Affairs Council. Ms. Bensouda started her mandate as Prosecutor in 2012 and will finish it in June this year.

On the occasion of the International Day against the Use of Child Soldiers, Deputy Prime Minister and Minister of Foreign Affairs Sophie Wilmès reaffirms Belgium's commitment to improving the protection of children in armed conflict.

Today we remember the victims of the Holocaust on the International Day of Remembrance. This speech was delivered during the virtual ceremony organised by the European Jewish Association.

Democracy is fragile and never acquired. What happened at the Capitol in Washington demonstrated that. Belgium considers respect for democratic institutions & values essential in all relations, including those with the US, who is and will always be one of our closest allies. You can find the interview on BBC World News here.