Belgian Ministers Embark on Diplomatic Mission to Japan Ahead of National Day at Expo 2025
In the upcoming days, three Belgian federal ministers will travel to Japan for diplomatic and economic missions tied to Belgium’s National Day at Expo 2025 in Osaka. Economy minister David Clarinval (MR), Foreign minister Maxime Prévot and Digitalisation minister Vanessa Matz (Les Engagés) will each participate in events promoting Belgium and attend meetings intended to strengthen bilateral relations, reports 24brussels.
Festivities on Sunday will showcase performances by Belgian artists including Héléna, Mentissa, Mustii, Floris & The Flames, as well as DJ Daddy K, along with a choir comprised of 100 Japanese children. Clarinval, who is the first to arrive, will emphasize Belgium’s position as an innovative and outward-looking partner during his visit. Additionally, he is scheduled to tour Tsuneishi’s shipyard in Fukuyama to review hydrogen engine research and the production of the emission-free tugboat “TEN-OH” H2ICE, developed in collaboration with Compagnie Maritime Belge (CMB).
In Tokyo, Clarinval will hold a meeting with Agriculture minister Shinjiro Koizumi. Alongside his colleagues, he will engage in discussions with Hayashi Yoshimasa, a senior member of Japan’s outgoing government.
On Monday, Clarinval and Matz plan to visit the Hiroshima Atomic Bomb Museum, where they will lay a wreath to honor the 80th anniversary of the atomic bombing.
This visit comes in advance of the 160th anniversary of diplomatic relations between Belgium and Japan, set to be celebrated in 2026. Japan stands as Belgium’s third-largest trading partner in Asia and is the second-largest non-European investor in the country. After Osaka, Clarinval and Prévot will travel to South Korea for additional political and economic discussions. Despite his recent resignation as mayor of Aalter and departure from CD&V, Pieter De Crem will also participate in events in Osaka in his capacity as Commissioner General of BelExpo.
