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| Photo: © Cour grand-ducale / Claude Piscitelli |
On June 5th, Grand Duke Henri was in Brussels for events related to the 60th anniversary of Benelux, or the Benelux Economic Union that was established in 1958. Also in attendance were King Willem-Alexander of the Netherlands and King Philippe of the Belgians.
The events began with a lunch which the three heads of state attended at the Palais Royal, along with Luxembourg's Minister for Cooperation and Humanitarian Action, Romain Schneider, the Belgian Foreign Minister Didier Reynders and the Dutch Foreign Minister Stef Blok. Afterwards, they visited the General Secretariat of the Benelux, where a plaque was unveiled that identified the building as the House of Benelux. Three children, one from each country, were also present for the event.
Following the unveiling, the heads of state visited the Palais des Beaux-Arts in Brussels and met with fifteen students to chat with them about the connections between each of the countries. At its signing the Benelux Economic Union highlighted the themes of economy within the union of countries, internal affairs and justice, and sustainability. The Benelux Economic Union of 1958 was originally signed for 50 years and then renewed as the Benelux Union in 2008 with the added focus on security; the signing of 2008 remains in effect indefinitely unless altered.
Information and more photos from the Cour website.
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