Belgium is all set to reopen its Embassy in the city of Kyiv from mid-July onwards, announced the office of Belgian Prime Minister Alexander De Cross on 23 June Thursday.
The announcement was made after a phone call conversation between De Croo and the Ukrainian President Volodymyr Zelenskyy, in which De Croo stated that Belgium would open its support for Ukrainian candidate status.
The Belgian government has been making preparations for the reopening of its Embassy in Kyiv since April 2022, when the representation of the European Union in Ukraine also came back to regular operation.
Many nations have since reopened their diplomatic representations in Ukraine, including the United States, United Kingdom, Canada, Switzerland, and France, among others.
The Embassy is waiting for the Belgium diplomats to come, after which local staff members at the Embassy will relaunch all working operations.
The Belgian Prime Minister’s office stated, “The reopening of our Embassy will let close contacts with Ukrainian authorities, particularly in the context of security cooperation and Ukraine’s application for EU membership. This is an essential signal of strength and support for Ukrainians.”
The Belgian Embassy located in Kyiv earlier closed its doors at the end of February after the Russian invasion of Ukraine, and fears were spurred out that Russia may encircle Ukraine’s capital, Kyiv. FPS Foreign Affairs stated that the departure from Ukraine was because of the changes in security conditions.
Before relocating, the Belgium embassy moved itself within the ground of the French Embassy. After the Russian invasion, the Belgian consular staff persisted in offering its assistance to Belgians and their family members from points along the Ukrainian boundary.
The Belgian government further assured that the risk assessments related to the reopening of the Embassy had been carried out and that essential additional measures had also been taken.