State Visit to Belgium - Third Day

Visit of the A400M binational unit

On Thursday, the last day of the visit, the two Heads of State visited Melsbroeck airport, home to the binational A400M unit of the 15th Wing Air Transport, consisting of seven Belgian and one Luxembourgish aircraft. The visit to the site reflects the close defense cooperation between Belgium and Luxembourg.

In the hangar housing the impressive transport aircrafts, the King and the Grand Duke first received explanations about the complex training of H145M helicopter pilots, followed by a briefing on the Explosive Ordnance Disposal (EOD) Service, before concluding with a presentation on the drones operated jointly by a binational reconnaissance battalion.

The visit to 15th Wing concluded with a tour of the A400M flight simulator.

@ SIP

Visit to the Child Focus Foundation

Meanwhile in Brussels, the Queen and the Grand Duchess visited the Child Focus Foundation, which is dedicated to finding missing children and combating the sexual exploitation of minors. Her Majesty the Queen is the honorary president of the Foundation, which celebrated its 25th anniversary in 2023.

The visit began with a presentation of the Foundation's missions. The scourge of sexual abuse is developing more than ever on the internet, often with impunity behind screens, increasingly supported by the use of artificial intelligence. Child Focus receives an average of 1,500 online reports a year, while it is estimated that 9 million images are shared worldwide every day.

At the end of the presentation, Her Majesty and Her Royal Highness met some of the beneficiaries in the offices, whose testimonies were particularly moving. The staff then presented a prevention program based on interactive games as well as the "First Responders" – emergency hotline – and "CyberSquad" – a support forum created by young people for young people.

The cause of children is particularly dear to the hearts of the Queen and the Grand Duchess. They salute the work of all those involved in helping child victims in the hope of restoring their joy of life.

Seminar at the University of Liège

In Liège, the last stop on the Visit, the King and the Grand Duke took part in a joint seminar at the University of Liège on security and defence challenges in and from space. The event, led by experts and strategic partners, aims to strengthen collaboration between Belgium and Luxembourg.

The two Heads of State then attended a presentation on space cybersecurity given by Belgian and Luxembourg experts.

Thematic lunch at the Palace of the Princes-Bishops in Liège

At the invitation of the Governor of the Province and the Mayor of the City of Liège, the Royal Couple and the Grand Ducal Couple had lunch at the Palace of the Princes-Bishops. The theme of the lunch was Belgian-Luxembourg cooperation and cross-border joint development.

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State Visit to Belgium - Third Day

Visit of the A400M binational unit

Visit to the Child Focus Foundation

Seminar at the University of Liège

Thematic lunch at the Palace of the Princes-Bishops in Liège