Belgium to host informal summit of German-speaking countries

The 19th informal summit of the heads of state of German-speaking countries will take place in Brussels and Eupen on Monday and Tuesday. This is the second time Belgium has hosted the summit.

At the invitation of King Philippe and Queen Mathilde, five heads of state and their partners will visit Belgium: Hereditary Prince Alois of Liechtenstein, Grand Duke Henri of Luxembourg, German president Frank-Walter Steinmeier, Austrian president Alexander Van der Bellen and Swiss president Alain Berset. 

On Monday, there will be a working meeting on the subject of space at the Palace of Laeken, attended by astronauts Alexander Gerst, Carmen Possnig, Matthias Maurer and Samantha Cristoforetti. The day will end with a concert by the Young Belgian Strings orchestra.

The following day, the leaders will travel to German-speaking East Belgium, where they will visit Kabelwerk Eupen AG, a family-owned company working in the cable, plastic and foam industry. Their wives will visit the food manufacturer Conserverie et Moutarderie Belge in Raeren on the German border. The summit will close after a working meeting on the circular economy.

^{(L-R) Swiss president Ueli Maurer, Grand Duke Henri of Luxembourg, King Philippe of Belgium, Austrian president Alexander Van der Bellen, German president Frank-Walter Steinmeier and Hereditary Prince Alois of Liechtenstein during an informal meeting of German-speaking heads of state in 2019 © HELMUT FOHRINGER / APA / AFP}