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Belgo-British Conference

From Wikipedia, the free encyclopedia

The Belgo-British Conference is a recurring conference organised by the Belgian Federal Public Service Foreign Affairs, the British Foreign, Commonwealth and Development Office, the Egmont Institute and the British Council.[1]

The aim of the conference is to enrich bilateral relations by bringing together politicians, business people, academics, journalists, and other opinion-formers to debate themes of common and crucial importance to Belgium and the United Kingdom.

History

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The Belgo-British Conference was first held in 2000, having been an idea discussed by Belgian Prime Minister Guy Verhofstadt and British Prime Minister Tony Blair, when they met for the first time in Downing Street in November 1999.

The first edition took place in Bruges in 2000. The location of the conference would alternate annually between the United Kingdom and Belgium and takes place under the Chatham House Rule. After the fifteenth edition in 2014, the conference was stopped being held until it was reinvigorated in 2022.

The Belgo-British Conference is currently chaired by Sir Robin Niblett (Director and Chief Executive of Chatham House) and Ambassador Johan Verbeke (former Belgian Ambassador to the UK), who preside over a board which agrees the theme of the conference. Previous chairs include Sir Stephen Wall, Ambassador Lode Willems, André Villeneuve, Count Georges Jacobs de Hagen, Baron Paul Buysse and Lord Simon of Highbury.

Editions

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Year Date Location Theme
2000 19–21 October Belgium Bruges None
2001 25–26 October United Kingdom London None
2002 3–5 October Belgium Val-Duchesse Castle, Brussels None
2003 16–18 October United Kingdom Royal Society, Edinburgh Changing Europe in a Changing World
2004 25–27 November Belgium Royal Theatre, Namur Ensuring Europe's Prosperity – Building Bridges
2005 20–22 October United Kingdom Locarno Rooms, London 2020 – A new horizon for Europe
2006 16–17 October Belgium Val-Duchesse Castle, Brussels Globalisation and the Citizen
2007 13–14 November United Kingdom Lancaster House, London Bridges Across The Channel
2008 12–13 November Belgium Egmont Palace, Brussels Natural Resources: Challenges and Opportunities
2009 18–19 November United Kingdom British Council, London Innovating our Way out of the Crisis
2010 19–20 October Belgium Egmont Palace, Brussels Player or Spectator? Europe in Tomorrow's World
2011 17–18 October United Kingdom Lancaster House, London Employment and Growth
2012 8–9 November Belgium Egmont Palace, Brussels Two Countries, How many Europes? A Belgo-British Dialogue
2013 10–11 October United Kingdom Lancaster House, London History and Reconciliation: Engaging a New Generation
2014 20–21 November Belgium Egmont Palace, Brussels Creation and Business
2022 1 July United Kingdom Locarno Rooms, London The UK-Belgium Relationship in a Changing Geopolitical Context

References

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