Foreign minister positive about future of Volvo in Belgium
Foreign minister Maxime Prévot said he was optimistic about the future of Volvo Ghent after a visit to the research and development site of its parent company in Hangzhou. Prévot is on a week-long mission to China and Hong Kong.
“I met the CEO of Geely, the owner of Volvo, at their headquarters to express the full support of the Belgian government for Volvo Ghent,” he told Belga. “This was important, as they want to continue investing in Europe. I tried to convince them that Belgium has many assets, and especially Ghent, with strong research and innovation centres and a highly international environment.”
Employing around 6,500 people, the plant in Ghent is one of the largest industrial employers in Flanders and the last remaining car factory in Belgium. A task force led by prime minister Bart De Wever has been set up to help safeguard its future amid challenging market conditions.
Prévot is "convinced that Belgium's position will be assessed in a positive way" by the parent company.
#FlandersNewsService | Geely CEO An Conghui and Foreign minister Maxime Prevot at the Geely automobile R&D centre in Hangzhou, 29 April 2026 © BELGA PHOTO NICOLAS MAETERLINCK / © BELGA VIDEO NICOLAS MAETERLINCK & STEPHANIE GIEBENS
Related news
