Dear fellow Belgians and dear American friends,
It is a real pleasure for me to welcome you all this evening to celebrate Belgium’s National Day. National Day is always a moment to remember where we come from and who we are.
For the past six months, I have had the honor to represent Belgium in this amazing country—a country I have heard a lot about since I was a young boy. My grandmother used to tell me many stories about the war: American paratroopers that landed in her garden when she was 14… and how she hid in the ceiling. You can imagine what an experience that was for a young girl.
And later came the liberation of Brussels by the Americans—and the explosion of joy.
I was deeply fascinated by those stories. And this probably led me to study history later.
Little did I know that I would be here today as Belgian Ambassador to the U.S., forty years later.
If you are here tonight, it is because you are prominent Belgians or you have a special connection with Belgium. So in a way, you are all ambassadors of our country—the best promoters of Belgium, here and elsewhere.
For this reason, when you came in, we asked you a couple of questions:
What does Belgium mean to you? How should we brand Belgium?
I have seen some really interesting answers...
For me, Belgium is about values, it is about excellence, and it is about cooperation:
Values, because Belgium is a partner you can count on. After 9/11, we fought side by side with the U.S. in Afghanistan.
Today, in these troubled times, we will continue to defend a world based on international law. This is why we will continue to support Ukraine for as long as it takes. This is also why we will continue to stand by those who suffer in Gaza.
Belgium is also about excellence.
Because wherever you go, you will find Belgians at the top—be it in sports, academia, companies… and you are proof of that.
Belgium, for decades, has been one of the strongest investors in the U.S. Today, our economic relationship supports more than 230,000 jobs in cutting-edge sectors like clean energy, life sciences, space, digital innovation, logistics, and much more.
And Belgium is also about cooperation.
We were founding members of all major projects: the UN, NATO, the EU. And Belgium continues to build bridges in Europe and in the world.
One of our most important bridges is the Transatlantic partnership.
The friendship between Belgium and the United States is deep and enduring. We are partners in security, in trade, in values. We have stood shoulder to shoulder for centuries.
Today, the world is not short of challenges—global tensions, climate urgency, democratic resilience.
The United States is going through important reforms and changes. […]
Europe and the United States sometimes have different views, and that’s fine. What matters is that we engage. What matters is that we listen to each other. And what matters is that we move forward together.
The main objectives of my mandate will be to put Belgium on the map and to take our relationship to the next level.
It means:
First, reinforcing our cooperation in defense and security;
Second, strengthening our economic ties;
Third—and most importantly—it is about connecting people. This is what we are doing tonight!
Tonight, as we celebrate our National Day, let us also recommit—to friendship, to dialogue, and to the values we share.
And let’s enjoy our evening the Belgian way: with good company, good food, and maybe just one beer more than we had planned.
Finally, I want to extend my warm thanks to everyone who made tonight possible.
First and foremost, to the Embassy team. You have not only organized an event—you have brought Belgium to life here in Washington, and you’ve done so for many years.
I would also like to thank our sponsors for their generosity: BBL, Duvel Moortgat, Katcef Brothers, and Wetten Importers.
Finally, I want to thank the various Belgian clubs, associations, and volunteers who help keep that connection alive.
As I said, you are all ambassadors of our country—thank you!
Bonne fête nationale! Gelukkige Nationale Feestdag! Einen frohen Nationalfeiertag!
