Belgium will send a 450-member economic mission led by Queen Mathilde to Turkey in May, with defense and aerospace among the main areas of planned cooperation, the Dünya news website reported on Monday, citing Belgium’s ambassador to Turkey.
The visit, scheduled for May 10 to 14, will be the first Belgian economic mission to Turkey at the royal level in 14 years. The delegation will include 194 companies, 17 federations and chambers of commerce, eight universities and Belgian government institutions, according to Ambassador Hendrik Van de Velde.
The mission will begin in İstanbul on May 10 and continue in Ankara on May 13 and 14. Belgian federal and regional ministers are expected to accompany the queen.
Van de Velde said Belgium sees “significant cooperation and potential” between the two economies, adding that the main goal is to bring companies from both countries together.
“When we look at the geopolitical situation, global developments and especially the NATO process, one of the important points is that Belgium needs to strengthen its defense industry,” Van de Velde was quoted by Dünya as saying.
He said Turkey has valuable knowledge and experience in this field, making defense one of the main areas for cooperation.
Turkey, a NATO member since 1952, has expanded its defense industry in recent years, especially in drones, armored vehicles, naval platforms and military aviation. European countries have also been seeking to boost defense production following Russia’s invasion of Ukraine and growing pressure on NATO members to spend more on security.
Van de Velde said the mission will focus on five sectors: green transition, digital transition, logistics, health and pharmaceuticals, and defense.
He also said aviation will be an important part of the talks, covering both civil and military aviation.
“Aviation is one of the areas we care about,” he said. “We will also come together to discuss cooperation opportunities in both civil aviation and military aviation.”
The ambassador described Turkey as one of Belgium’s most important economic partners, saying bilateral trade stands at about 13 billion euros. He said Turkey is Belgium’s fourth most important trade partner after the United Kingdom, China and European Union member states.
Van de Velde said Belgium was the eighth-largest investor in Turkey over the past 24 years and that agreements on joint business projects are expected to be signed during the visit.
Belgium’s last royal-level visit to Turkey took place in 2012, when the current king, Philippe, visited as crown prince.
Van de Velde also addressed visa problems faced by Turkish citizens seeking to travel to Europe, saying he personally would like to see visa requirements lifted but that such a decision is beyond his authority.