🌍 Global health challenges are interconnected. So must our responses be. Yesterday, I was pleased to close the Be-cause health conference, where discussions highlighted the importance of resilient health systems, equitable access to quality healthcare, and strong international partnerships. Belgium remains committed to working with partners to turn shared knowledge and commitments into action. @BelgiumMFA

🇺🇸🇮🇱 Very good and open conversation with the American Jewish Committee @AJCGlobal about our shared commitment to fighting antisemitism in Belgium and in the United States, and more globally around the world. No one should feel unsafe, hide their identity or fear for their children because they are Jewish. Political leaders and civil society organisations have a responsibility to stand together on this, whatever our political differences. That means listening to Jewish communities, taking their concerns seriously, giving answers to them and challenging the disinformation, conspiracy theories and antisemitic stereotypes that fuel hatred. Belgium’s commitment is longstanding and unequivocal. Building on existing efforts, we are strengthening cooperation across all levels of government and preparing further measures to combat antisemitism, with representatives of Belgium’s Jewish communities involved in this work. Our goal is clear: ensuring that Jewish life can flourish in Belgium in safety and dignity. @BelgiumMFA @BelgiuminIsrael

🇹🇷 Hoş geldiniz! Delighted to welcome our Turkish counterparts to Brussels today for the trilateral meeting, alongside my Belgian colleagues @AnneliesVl, @BernardQuintin_ and @Anneleen_VB. A first in ten years, seven Belgian and Turkish ministers met today. Belgium sees Türkiye as a strategic partner: working on shared issues while keeping the door open for honest dialogue on our differences. During our economic mission to Türkiye earlier this year, we saw just how much our countries have to offer each other. Nearly 200 Belgian companies took part, leading to 33 agreements. Today, we are building on that momentum and are taking our political cooperation a step further. Türkiye is a key NATO ally, a major economic partner and an influential diplomatic actor, from Ukraine and the Black Sea to the Middle East and Africa. And there is still so much potential to unlock together, including through a modernised EU-Türkiye Customs Union that could create new opportunities for our businesses, jobs and prosperity for our citizens. Today, we are advancing concrete cooperation on security, justice and migration, including a new bilateral police cooperation action plan. Our relationship goes well beyond our governments. Generations of families, entrepreneurs and students have built lasting relations between our two countries. Those connections are something we should cherish and strengthen. Ready for the next steps, together. @BelgiumMFA @MFATurkiye @HakanFidan @BelgiumAnkara

🇹🇷 It is a real pleasure to welcome my Turkish counterpart @HakanFidan to Brussels this evening ahead of a trilateral Belgian-Turkish meeting involving the Ministers for Foreign Affairs, Justice, and the Home Affairs/Migration. This in-depth, high-level political dialogue between our two countries further strengthens the diplomatic and economic ties between us, following on from the unprecedented economic mission to Istanbul and Ankara a few months ago, led by Her Majesty the Queen. @BelgiumMFA @BelgiumAnkara

🇵🇸 I condemn in the strongest terms the attack by masked settlers in Taybeh, in the occupied West Bank, against Palestinians, our Consul General, French and Polish diplomats as well as catholic representatives. A French mayor was assaulted and a Belgian vehicle damaged. Our team is safe. Palestinians face this violence every day. Settlers also target journalists reporting on it and diplomats. Harvesting olives, reporting the news or carrying out diplomatic duties should never put anyone at risk of attack. As the occupying power, Israeli authorities must protect Palestinians, ensure the safety of diplomats and journalists, and bring those responsible to justice. Impunity for violent settlers must end. Belgium will continue to press for EU sanctions against those responsible for this violence and those who support them. This violence cannot be separated from Israel’s illegal settlement policy. Belgium condemns settlement expansion and attempts to forcibly displace Palestinians from their land. The occupation of the Palestinian territory must end. @BelgiumMFA @BelgiumJRS

🇹🇷 Good to meet, as Minister of European Affairs, Türkiye’s Trade Minister Ömer Bolat @OmerBolatTR and build on the momentum of our Belgian economic mission to Türkiye. At the EU-Türkiye Business Summit, I made the case for a closer economic partnership. As European companies seek partners closer to home, Türkiye’s industrial base and connections to neighbouring markets offer real opportunities. We should finally advance the modernisation of the EU-Türkiye Customs Union. While Europe pursues trade agreements across the world, we should also better leverage the potential of a close neighbour. Stronger cooperation on resilient supply chains, economic security, defence, innovation and the green and digital transitions brings investments and jobs to both our countries. @BelgiumMFA

🇬🇧 I join my colleagues from 28 other countries in condemning Iran’s violent attacks and hybrid activities on our territories. We recognise the UK’s attribution of Iranian involvement in the incident at RAF Fairford on 27 September. Targeting Jewish communities, journalists or anyone else through covert networks and proxies is unacceptable. No one should have to live in fear of a foreign regime on European soil. Our message to Iran is clear: we will defend our sovereignty, protect our communities and act together to hold those responsible to account. Joint Statement on Iran, 12 October gov.uk/government/news/joint…

🇱🇧 I welcome today's EU decision to establish a new mission to train and support Lebanon's armed forces and internal security forces, including on border control. This is precisely the kind of concrete European engagement Lebanon needs. The repeated seizures of large quantities of explosives in Lebanon show why the Lebanese government's efforts to bring all weapons under State control are so essential. I fully support Prime Minister Nawaf Salam and the Lebanese Armed Forces in their efforts to achieve this. The Lebanese State must have the exclusive authority to use force throughout its territory. For these efforts to succeed, the Israel-Lebanon Framework Agreement must be fully respected. Hezbollah's disarmament must go hand in hand with full respect for Lebanon's sovereignty and territorial integrity. Our objective is clear: a sovereign Lebanon, with strong democratic institutions, full control over its territory and a future free from the threat of renewed war. @BelgiumMFA @BelgiumLebanon

⚖️ I strongly condemn the new US sanctions against the International Criminal Court. Seeking to cripple the Court’s work denies victims a path to justice and puts those responsible for the gravest crimes beyond its reach. At Belgium’s initiative, support for the ICC will be discussed with my EU foreign affairs colleagues on Monday and at the forthcoming European Council. We will press for concrete protection. The Court’s independence cannot depend on whom it investigates. Europe must act. Belgium is calling for the activation of the EU Blocking Statute to protect the Court and those who support its work. We must also defend our right to uphold international law without foreign sanctions dictating our choices. @BelgiumMFA @IntlCrimCourt

I’m glad we could bring people from across the world together in Brussels for the EITI Global Conference. Together with the European Commission, Belgium is proud to host two days of important conversations about how natural resources can improve people’s lives. @EITIorg, the Extractive Industries Transparency Initiative, brings governments, businesses and civil society together to make the oil, gas and mining sectors more transparent and accountable. Its work helps people know what contracts have been signed, who owns the companies involved and where revenues go. Transparency matters because of what it makes possible. With that information, people can ask questions, discuss the choices that affect them and help shape better decisions. Governments can manage resources more effectively, businesses can invest with greater confidence, and communities can hold decision-makers to their commitments. This matters all the more as the energy transition increases demand for critical raw materials. Europe needs reliable supplies. Producing countries want to develop their own industries and create skilled jobs. People living near a mine or an oil field want decent work, safe water and better public services. As Minister of Foreign Affairs and Development Cooperation, I want our partnerships to take all these ambitions seriously. Belgium can contribute through its expertise in processing and recycling metals, energy infrastructure, ports and logistics, alongside the work of our development partners. We want to be a reliable partner, ready to listen and work together so that investment creates lasting value locally and supports sustainable development.

🇺🇦 My deepest condolences to the families of those killed in the relentless Russian attacks across Ukraine over the past week. My thoughts are also with the many wounded, with those who have lost their homes, and with the Ukrainian people who continue to endure this violence. The devastating attacks in Pryluky, where five children were among those killed, on passenger buses in Kramatorsk and on Ukraine's capital Kyiv are part of a much wider pattern. Residential areas, energy infrastructure and bridges have come under attack. As winter approaches, Russia is targeting the very infrastructure that allows people to work, travel, heat their homes and maintain some sense of normal life. The recent attacks on civilian vessels in the Black Sea are equally alarming, endangering seafarers from countries across the world, freedom of navigation and food supplies in some of the world's most vulnerable regions. At the same time, Russia presents itself to the Global South as a reliable partner for security, sovereignty and food security, and as a champion of the fight against neo-colonialism. Yet it continues to wage a war against an independent nation, with consequences reaching far beyond Europe's borders. Respect for sovereignty and international law cannot depend on geography or political convenience. The principles Russia invokes in its relations with the rest of the world must also apply to Ukraine. Belgium stands firmly with Ukraine and its people. We will continue supporting them and working with our partners to increase pressure on Russia, protect civilians and seek a just and lasting peace. @BelgiumMFA @BelgiumUkraine @andrii_sybiha

🇸🇦 Belgium stands in solidarity with Saudi Arabia and expresses its full support to the Kingdom following the latest deadly Houthi attacks. I strongly condemn these unacceptable attacks on Saudi sovereignty and civilian infrastructure. My thoughts are with the families of the victims of all nationalities and with all those injured. Across the border, the people of Yemen are also paying a devastating price. More than 200,000 people have been displaced by the renewed fighting, deepening an already dire humanitarian crisis. These attacks must stop. Civilians must be protected, wherever they are. The region urgently needs de-escalation, humanitarian relief and a return to diplomacy. @BelgiumMFA @BelgiuminRiyadh

🇮🇱 (EN/FR/NL) Three years after the Hamas terrorist attacks of 7 October 2023, I pay tribute to the victims and stand in solidarity with their loved ones, the survivors and the Israeli people. Families were murdered in their homes. Young people were killed while enjoying music together. Children, women and men were taken hostage. Nothing can justify these crimes. The passage of time does not lessen their gravity or our duty to remember. Those responsible must be held accountable. For former hostages and bereaved families, this day is also a reminder of loved ones who will never return and wounds that remain. We owe it to them to keep listening to their stories and acknowledging their suffering. My thoughts are also with Belgium’s Jewish community. Everyone must be able to live openly in their faith and identity, without fear. Fighting antisemitism is a responsibility we bear every day. Today, we pause to remember. We will not forget. ———- Trois ans après les attaques terroristes du Hamas du 7 octobre 2023, je rends hommage aux victimes et adresse toute ma solidarité à leurs proches, aux survivants et au peuple israélien. Des familles ont été assassinées chez elles. Des jeunes ont été tués alors qu’ils partageaient un moment de musique et de fête. Des enfants, des femmes et des hommes ont été emmenés en captivité. Rien ne peut justifier ces crimes. Le temps qui passe ne diminue ni leur gravité, ni notre devoir de mémoire. Les responsables doivent répondre de leurs actes. Pour les anciens otages et les familles endeuillées, cette journée rappelle aussi des absences et des blessures qui demeurent. Nous leur devons de continuer à entendre leur souffrance. Je pense également à la communauté juive de Belgique. Chacun doit pouvoir vivre sa foi et son identité librement, sans peur. Combattre l’antisémitisme est une responsabilité de chaque jour. Aujourd’hui, nous nous recueillons. Nous n’oublions pas. ———- Drie jaar na de terroristische aanslagen van Hamas op 7 oktober 2023 herdenk ik de slachtoffers en betuig ik mijn volle solidariteit met hun naasten, de overlevenden en de Israëlische bevolking. Gezinnen werden in hun eigen huis vermoord. Jongeren werden gedood terwijl ze samen van muziek genoten. Kinderen, vrouwen en mannen werden gegijzeld. Niets kan die misdaden rechtvaardigen. Het verstrijken van de tijd vermindert hun ernst niet, noch onze plicht om te herdenken. De verantwoordelijken moeten ter verantwoording worden geroepen. Voor voormalige gijzelaars en nabestaanden herinnert deze dag ook aan geliefden die nooit meer terugkomen en aan wonden die blijven. We zijn het hun verschuldigd om naar hun verhalen te blijven luisteren en hun leed te erkennen. Mijn gedachten gaan ook uit naar de Joodse gemeenschap in België. Iedereen moet zijn geloof en identiteit vrij kunnen beleven, zonder angst. Antisemitisme bestrijden is een verantwoordelijkheid die we elke dag dragen. Vandaag staan we stil en herdenken we. We vergeten niet. @BelgiumMFA @BelgiumJRS @BelgiuminIsrael

🇷🇴🇧🇬 The recent drone attacks on commercial vessels in the exclusive economic zones of Romania and Bulgaria are deeply concerning. Belgium stands in solidarity with both countries. Civilian ships and their crews must be protected, and freedom of navigation in the Black Sea must be respected. This is also a matter of global food security. Ukraine depends heavily on the Black Sea to export its grain. When ships are attacked, ports are disrupted or these routes are blocked, Ukrainian grain cannot reach world markets as it should. Ukraine’s grain routes are a lifeline for global food markets. Disrupting them drives up transport and insurance costs, puts pressure on food prices and affects countries far beyond Europe, including those already facing hunger and food insecurity. The Black Sea must remain open and safe for civilian shipping. Protecting freedom of navigation also means protecting global trade and global food security. @BelgiumMFA

🇧🇪 Warm congratulations to Belgian physicist Francis Halzen on receiving the 2026 Nobel Prize in Physics for his groundbreaking work on neutrinos and the IceCube Observatory. Deep beneath the Antarctic ice, IceCube brings together scientists from across the world. It is a remarkable scientific achievement and a powerful reminder of what international cooperation can accomplish. As one of the original signatories of the Antarctic Treaty, Belgium has long stood for Antarctica as a place of peace, science and international cooperation. Today, we can be especially proud to see a fellow Belgian honoured at the very highest level of science. @BelgiumMFA

🇪🇹 Alongside the EU and its Member States, Belgium is alarmed by the rising violence in Ethiopia. De-escalation, civilian protection, humanitarian access, respect for sovereignty and territorial integrity, and non-interference are urgent necessities. Only dialogue and diplomacy can lead to peace. @BelgiumMFA @BelgiumAddis

🇪🇹 Alongside the United Nations, the African Union and the European Union, I am deeply concerned by the rapidly deteriorating situation in northern Ethiopia and urgently call for immediate de-escalation. There is no military solution to this crisis. Differences can only be resolved through dialogue. I strongly support the African Union-led mediation efforts and the full implementation of the Permanent Cessation of Hostilities Agreement. Respect for territorial integrity, sovereignty as well as for international humanitarian law, is imperative. This includes the protection of civilians at all times and respect for the impartiality and independence of humanitarian operations. These principles are non-negotiable. I urge all neighbouring countries to actively support de-escalation, dialogue and confidence-building efforts. @BelgiumMFA @BelgiumAddis

🇮🇱 I am relieved to learn that the passengers on the Flydubai flight bound for Tel Aviv are safe and sound after the terrible incident they endured. I am glad that the plane was ultimately able to land safely in Saudi Arabia. I salute the courage of the pilot and I commend the men and women who made this outcome possible. I wish the injured and their loved ones a speedy recovery. Reports of a possible terrorist attack are deeply concerning. I unequivocally condemn any act of violence targeting civilians. @BelgiumMFA