Belçika Dışişleri Bakanı Ulusal Gün'de Dış Politika Vizyonunu Açıkladı

Toespraak van de vicepremier en minister van Buitenlandse Zaken, Europese Zaken en Ontwikkelingssamenwerking

Speech by the Deputy Prime Minister and Minister for Foreign Affairs, European Affairs and Development Cooperation lien.horemans Tue, 07/28/2026 - 13:17 Speech 21 July Diplomatic map July 28, 2026 Messieurs les Présidents de la Chambre et du Sénat, Mesdames et Messieurs les Ministres Présidents, Mesdames et Messieurs les Ministres, Excellences, Mesdames et Messieurs les Ambassadeurs et Ambassadrices, Mesdames et Messieurs les Présidents des Parlements régionaux et communautaires, Mesdames et Messieurs les Présidents des Cours, Mesdames et Messieurs les députés, Dames en Heren, Beste vrienden, Ladies and gentlemen, Dear friends, Welcome to the Hall of Mirrors. This room lies at the heart of the Egmont Palace. It has seen a great deal of Belgian and European history. For centuries, people came here to talk, to disagree, and, in the end, to reach agreement. Well … if you except the former lord of this palace, the Count of Egmont, who has been decapitated in fifteen hundred sixty-eight (1568), of course. Anyway, we stand in the middle of Brussels, one of the great meeting points of diplomacy worldwide. And if these mirrors could speak, they would tell you one simple thing. The talks that mattered most in this room were almost never the easy ones. One hundred and ninety-five (195) years ago, King Leopold the First took his oath. He was the first King of a country that had been born just one year before, in eighteen hundred thirty (1830), against the will of the great powers of the time. That is where our story begins. And that beginning still shapes who we are. For centuries, the regions of this country were known across Europe for their skill, their trade and their industry. And because they were rich, they were often wanted by stronger neighbours. A small country that is wealthy and exposed learns one lesson early. Its safety rests on more than its own strength. It rests on its word. And it rests on a simple habit : to keep talking, even when it is hard. That is why diplomacy has always stood at the center of how Belgium meets the world. And trade, in particular. Our exports are worth 85% of everything we produce. A country like ours cannot close its doors. We live from our relations with others. Belgium has always believed the same thing. The world works better when countries agree on rules, and then keep them. Rules that protect the small as much as the large. We still hold on to that belief today, even when it is put to the test. Ladies and gentlemen, these are hard times. The things we once took for granted are fading. The world is more divided, and harder to read. And yet one thing is clear. Look at the challenges in front of us. War. Climate change. Migration. Crime that crosses every border. Energy. Food. Not one of them stops at a frontier. And not one of them can be solved by a single country, on its own. So over the past eighteen months, I have made a clear choice. I have worked to widen the circle of countries that Belgium speaks with. Far beyond our old friends and our closest partners. And I plan to keep going. Like the last reform of the Foreign Ministry, Rethink HQ, has also shown. Because, if some of those talks are comfortable, many are not. I have sat across the table from governments we disagree with, at times deeply. And I have come to believe something. These are exactly the talks a country like ours cannot walk away from. A diplomacy that speaks only to friends is hardly diplomacy at all. Its real work is to keep the door open. Because it is through that open door that understanding can still pass. And one day, perhaps, peace. Let me be clear about one thing. Belgium will always stand up for its values. It will defend its interests. And it will defend the rules that protect us all. At the same time, we do the slow and patient work. We look for the small piece of common ground, however narrow it may be. And we build something solid on it. That is what I mean by the power of realism. This patient work stands on one thing that cannot be faked. Others have to know that they can count on you. Trust takes years to build. It can be lost in a single moment. Keeping our word, year after year. That is one of Belgium's true strengths. Dear Ambassadors, you know this better than anyone in this room. When Belgium gives its word, that word holds. In a time of doubt, that counts for a great deal. It is what keeps us welcome at every table. Including the difficult ones. Now, more than ever, the world needs patience. It needs countries that are ready to listen, without giving up what they believe. Countries that stay in the room when others walk out. Countries that are steady, year after year, whoever they are speaking to. That is the country Belgium wants to be. And that is the country I work for, every single day. So let me end where I began. In this room, in front of these mirrors. For generations, they have reflected men and women who chose to sit down together, when it would have been far easier to walk away. Today, they reflect all of you. And that is a fair picture of what Belgium hopes to be in the world. Present. Steady. And always ready to keep the conversation going. And now, I would ask you to raise your glass with me. To you, To Belgium, To the King! Keep up-to-date Subscribe to our newsletters to stay informed about the activities of our FPS Our spokespersons David Jordens david.jordens@diplobel.fed.be Florinda Baleci florinda.baleci@diplobel.fed.be Pierre Steverlynck pierre.steverlynck@diplobel.fed.be Social Media Hide all social media Show all social media