Ankara (Turkiye Khabar) Belgium’s Queen Mathilde and her delegation have concluded a five-day economic visit to Türkiye, during which around 40 new trade agreements were finalized in key sectors including energy, defense, and other important industries.
The economic mission was held on the invitation of Turkish President Recep Tayyip Erdogan, marking Belgium’s first high-level diplomatic and commercial engagement in 14 years.
The delegation included Belgium’s Deputy Prime Minister Maxime Prévot and Defense Minister Theo Francken, along with 428 business leaders and senior government representatives.
In addition, Brussels Region Prime Minister Rudi Vervoort, Flemish Region Prime Minister Matthias Diependaele, and Walloon Region Deputy Prime Minister Pierre-Yves Jeholet also participated in the delegation.
President Erdogan and Queen Mathilde emphasized the strategic importance of Türkiye–EU relations amid ongoing regional tensions. The Turkish president stated that updating the customs union would be an important and urgent step toward full European Union membership.
During the visit, Turkish Trade Minister Ömer Bolat met with the Queen and the delegation to discuss expanding bilateral trade and economic cooperation. Later, Ömer Bolat and the Belgian Deputy Prime Minister signed a joint declaration to promote trade between the two countries.
An investment conference held in Istanbul also reviewed ways to strengthen the existing trade volume of 9.2 billion dollars and explore new investment opportunities.
