Moscow Days in Belgium

On June 25-30, the Belgian cities of Brussels, Liege, and Antwerp hosted a series of events within the scope of Moscow Days: economic forums, cultural events, and meetings with compatriots.

The extensive event program was aimed at strengthening cooperation and exchanging experience in the spheres of the economy and social and cultural development. Moscow was represented by a delegation headed up by Minister of the Moscow Government and Head of the Department for External Economic Affairs and International Relations Sergey Cheremin.

The business program included negotiations with representatives of city administrations of Liege, Brussels, Antwerp, and Luxembourg, roundtable discussions that addressed the issues of providing support for and cooperating with compatriots, along with meetings on the topics of healthcare and social and city development, which included visits to specialized infrastructure facilities.

An investment conference and presentation of the Russian capital’s economic potential took place within the scope of Moscow Days in Belgium and Luxembourg. “For the first time, Moscow Days are being held in Belgium, in several cities. This is a great honor for us. There are hundreds of Belgian enterprises in Russia, and in Moscow as well. We have very close cooperation across various sectors,” Sergey Cheremin said during his speech at the forum. A five-year program of cooperation with Antwerp was recently signed in Moscow, and the city also signed cooperation agreements with Liege. “We hope that this conference will serve as a kind of platform for establishing mutually beneficial relations,” the minister said.

Ambassador of the Russian Federation to the Kingdom of Belgium Alexander Tokovinin, Director General of the Walloon Export and Foreign Investment Agency Chantal De Bleu, Trade Representative of the Russian Federation in Belgium Anatoly Gorshkov, General Manager of the Belgian-Luxembourg Chamber of Commerce and Industry for Russia and Belarus Arkady Arianoff, and other officials took part in the conference.

In the first three months of this year, the increase in trade turnover between Belgium and the Russian federation amounted to 30% compared to the same period of time last year, Mr. Tokovinin said during the discussion. Chantal De Bleu talked about the incredible positive changes that have happened recently in the transportation sector of the Russian capital.

Within the scope of Moscow Days in Belgium, a working meeting was held between the Moscow Government delegation and Archbishop Simon of Brussels and Belgium. The parties discussed possible options for supporting the Russian language and culture abroad. On behalf of the Government of Moscow, the head of the Moscow delegation Sergey Cheremin presented to the Orthodox community church service covers for various holidays and an icon of St. John of Shanghai.