Belgium to reopen embassy in Kyiv

Belgium is set to reopen its embassy in Kyiv from mid-July, the office of Belgian Prime Minister Alexander De Cross announced on June 23.

The announcement follows a phone call made between De Croo and Ukrainian President Voldymyr Zelensky, in which De Croo announced that Belgium would support Ukrainian candidate status.

The Belgian government has been preparing for the reopening of its embassy in Kyiv since mid-April, when the representation of the European Union in Ukraine also returned to normal operation. Many countries have since reopened their diplomatic representations in the country, including the U.S, Canada, UK, France, Switzerland, and others.

The embassy is awaiting the arrival of Belgian diplomats, after which local staff at the embassy will relaunch operations.

“The reopening of our embassy will allow close contacts with Ukrainian authorities, especially in the context of security cooperation and Ukraine’s application for EU membership. This is an important signal of resilience and support for Ukrainians,” the Prime Minister’s office stated.

The Belgian embassy in Kyiv first closed its doors at the end of February after the outbreak of Russia’s invasion of Ukraine and fears that Russia may encircle Ukraine’s capital. FPS Foreign Affairs said that the departure from Ukraine was “due to the evolution of security conditions.”

Before relocating, the Belgium embassy moved within the grounds of the French embassy. After the invasion, Belgian consular staff continued to offer assistance to Belgians and their family members from points along the Ukrainian border.

The government assures that risk assessments regarding the reopening of the embassy have been carried out and that “necessary additional measures have been taken.”

Embassy of Belgium in Kyiv, Ukraine © Creative Commons