Royal Couple to embark on three-day state visit to Norway
King Philippe of Belgium and Queen Mathilde of Belgium will travel to Norway on Tuesday for a three-day state visit, the first of its kind between the two countries since 1997. The visit is intended to underline the strategic relationship between Belgium and the Scandinavian country, a NATO ally, key energy partner and supporter of multilateralism.
The royal couple will be received by King Harald V, nephew of Albert II of Belgium, who marked 35 years on the throne earlier this year. Given the 89-year-old monarch’s health issues, Crown Prince Haakon of Norway will accompany the Belgian royals for much of the programme. His wife, Princess Mette-Marit, will not take part for health reasons.
Political and economic delegation
Several ministers will join the visit, including deputy prime minister and foreign minister Maxime Prévot and defence minister Theo Francken. They will be accompanied by the five regional Ministers-President, as well as representatives from around 30 companies and universities.
Energy cooperation is a central theme. Norway is one of Belgium’s main gas suppliers, with a significant share of exports processed via the Zeebrugge terminal. Infrastructure operator Fluxys is part of the delegation.
The focus, however, is increasingly on the energy transition. On Tuesday, the King and Queen will visit the “Norse Wind”, a new vessel operated by Belgian group DEME, which is active in offshore wind projects in Norway.
Carbon capture and industrial cooperation
On Wednesday, the delegation will travel to Stavanger, the centre of Norway’s offshore oil industry. Discussions there will focus on carbon capture and storage. Both Flanders and Wallonia are developing CO₂ transport networks, with plans to ship emissions via pipeline from Zeebrugge to storage sites beneath the North Sea in Norway.
A bilateral agreement establishing the legal framework for this project was approved by the Belgian federal government on Friday and is due to be signed during the visit.
Security and defence
Security cooperation also features prominently. As a NATO member bordering Russia, Norway plays a key role in Arctic security. Earlier this year, the alliance launched the “Arctic Sentry” mission amid tensions over Greenland.
Norway is also a leading producer of the NASAMS air defence system, developed by Kongsberg in partnership with Raytheon. Belgium, together with the Netherlands, has ordered ten such systems, with deliveries expected from next year.
The King and Queen are due to attend a demonstration alongside Prévot and Francken, who will also visit Kongsberg with Belgian defence companies, including Sonaca, FN, John Cockerill and Castingpar. The Norwegian firm is also involved in the F-35 fighter jet programme, which will replace Belgium’s F-16 fleet.
The visit will also highlight shared support for international law and multilateralism. In Oslo, the delegation will visit the Nobel Peace Centre and take part in a roundtable on the protection of civilians in armed conflict.
A number of ceremonial events are also planned. King Harald and Queen Sonja will host a state banquet on Tuesday, while Belgium will reciprocate on Wednesday with a concert featuring musicians from the Queen Elisabeth Music Chapel: pianist Valère Burnon, cellist Stéphanie Huang and violinist Emmanuel Coppey.
#FlandersNewsService | Queen Mathilde and King Philippe of Belgium © BELGA PHOTO BENOIT DOPPAGNE
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