The President of the Swiss Confederation, Didier Burkhalter travelled to Belgium where he met the King of the Belgians, Philippe, the Belgian prime minister, Charles Michel, and the foreign minister, Didier Reynders, in Brussels.
Official visit to Belgium
Friday, 14.11.2014 – Friday, 14.11.2014
Official visit
Location: Brussels
In the afternoon of the 14 November, Mr Burkhalter met in Ypres with three Swiss school classes that won a trip to western Flanders as part of the competition he launched in March 2014 on the subject of the First World War. Approximately half a million lives were lost in the battles near Ypres during the Great War.
Press release, 08.11.2014 (“Prize-winning Swiss school projects on the First World War”)
Mr Burkhalter visited a First World War trench and he and the winning pupils were received by the mayor of Ypres. Along with the minister-president of Flanders, Mr Burkhalter attended the "Last Post" memorial event in the evening of 14 November to commemorate the victims of the First World War. The school classes also attended the memorial event.
Further information
- Press release, 14 November 2014 (Topical politics and historical events: President Burkhalter meets representatives of the Belgian government in Brussels, and attends commemoration of First World War casualties in Ypres)
- Dossier Official visit to Belgium
- Press release, 31 March 2014 ("1914-2014": The President of the Swiss Confederation, Mr Didier Burkhalter, launches competition for young people)
