HomeBelgiumFirst day of the State Visit to South Africa - Pretoria

First day of the State Visit to South Africa – Pretoria

The day will continue with the laying of a wreath at the Freedom Park Memorial to honor the victims of apartheid and, more broadly, all South Africans who sacrificed their lives for freedom and democracy.The Queen will chair a panel discussion on social entrepreneurship in South African society and economy, and the role of universities in this regard. In the afternoon, the King will attend a business forum aimed at promoting virtuous partnerships between Belgian and South African companies. He will then visit the Battery Test Bed, a recently built lab, in the framework of a project financed by Flanders, to test new battery technologies adapted to local climatic and technical conditions and thus accelerate the transition to renewable energy in South Africa. The King and Queen will be welcomed in Pretoria by the President of the Republic of South Africa, H.E. Cyril Ramaphosa, with whom they will first have an exchange in the presence of the Ministers of Foreign Affairs of both countries. They will then be joined by the other members of the official delegation and several South African ministers for in-depth discussions on bilateral relations as well as African and international issues among others. The Sovereigns will be accompanied by the Federal Minister of Foreign Affairs, European Affairs, Foreign Trade and Federal Cultural Institutions, Ms. Hadja Lahbib, the Minister-President of Wallonia, Mr. Elio Di Rupo, the Minister-President of the Brussels-Capital Region, Mr. Rudi Vervoort, and Minister Matthias Diependaele, representing the Flemish Government. The official delegation will also include representatives from academic institutions and the business community. The first day of the State visit will end with the traditional State dinner hosted by the President of the Republic of South Africa in honor of the King and Queen. During this state dinner, the heads of state will exchange traditional speeches and toasts. Their Majesties the King and Queen of the Belgians arrived in Pretoria last night and this morning they begin the program of their four-day state visit to South Africa. This is their first state visit to the African continent. It will focus on consolidating an already strong partnership between Belgium and South Africa, a country of obvious strategic importance, both politically and economically. The activities planned in the program are intended to highlight cooperation projects. They also reflect the desire to strengthen economic and commercial exchanges between our two countries, particularly in the field of energy transition, as well as to deepen cooperation in the field of research and academia.

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