Princess Astrid is leading a nine-day Belgian economic mission to California. Trade tensions with the Trump administration should not impact the mission, Defence and Foreign Trade minister Theo Francken said.
The Belgian mission began on Saturday. Several university rectors, including those of Ghent University and the VUB, decided to stay away from the mission, citing concerns about the current American political climate.
Francken said he questioned their decision. “We’re not here for American politics — we’re here to make deals with American companies,” he said. “It’s an important economic mission in a tense international context. But at the business level, the ties between Belgium and the US remain strong, and that’s a good sign.”
Pieter Timmermans, CEO of the Federation of Belgian Enterprises, also highlighted the commercial focus of the trip. During a networking event, he pointed out that “more than 500 B2B meetings” were scheduled this week. “That’s a significant number, showing the region’s attractiveness.”
On Sunday, Francken already met with twenty Belgian defence firms who presented their work during a pitch session. The mission will also include visits to major US firms such as Oracle, Palantir, Microsoft, Lockheed Martin and Northrop Grumman.
Flemish culture
Meanwhile, Flemish minister-president Matthias Diependaele used the first days of the mission to promote Flemish culture. On Sunday, he visited the Legion of Honor museum in San Francisco, where Peter Paul Rubens’ The Tribute Money is on display.
The visit served as an opportunity to highlight the upcoming Rubens Year in 2027, marking 450 years since the painter’s birth, and the restoration of the Rubens House in Antwerp, set to be completed by 2030. “It’s a wonderful setting to promote our cultural heritage to an American audience,” Diependaele said.
Rubens was also mentioned during Diependaele’s visit to the University of California, Berkeley, where the Peter Paul Rubens Chair in Dutch Studies focuses on Flemish language and culture. The chair was established in the 1982 with support from the Flemish government.
#FlandersNewsService | Flemish minister-president Matthias Diependaele delivers a speech at a visit to the Legion of Honor Museum of San Francisco. © BELGA PHOTO BENOIT DOPPAGNE
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