King Filip and Queen Mathilde arrived in Berlin at 11.15am on Tuesday for a three-day state visit to Germany. The royal couple was welcomed with a 21-gun salute at the city’s Brandenburg Airport. The Belgian delegation that also includes politicians, businesspeople and academics arrived on board an Air Belgium Airbus A330 flight from Melsbroek Military Airport in Flemish Brabant.
From the German border, the plane was accompanied by two German Airforce Eurofighter fighter Jets. This is for foreign leaders that go to Germany on a state visit tradition on state visits, as a tribute.
The German President Frank-Walter Steinmeier and his wife Elke Büdenbender welcomed the Belgian royal couple on Tuesday afternoon at President Steinmeier’s official residence Schloss Bellevue. There King Filip presented the German President and his wife with the Grand Ribbon in the Order of Leopold.
Throughout the day are also talks between delegations from the Belgian business and academic communities and their German counterparts.
On Tuesday afternoon the royal couple were received by the Mayor of Berlin Kai Wegner at the Brandenburg Gate. The Belgian royals also laid a wreath at ceremony at Neue Wache, a monument to all victims of war and violence. The day will end with a state banquet, at Schloss Bellevue.
Economic cooperation
The Belgian delegation also has a busy day on Wednesday. On the second day of the visit the focus will be very much on economic cooperation, space travel and the green energy transition. King Filip will also briefly meet German Chancellor Olaf Scholz.
On Thursday, the state visit will continue in Dresden, in the state of Saxony. On Thursday evening, the Belgian delegation will fly back to Belgium.