Belgian Prime Minister Alexander De Croo congratulated Joe Biden upon his inauguration as the 46th President of the United States and Kamala Harris as the first female Vice President.
Biden's inauguration is "the start of a new chapter" for relations between Europe and the US, according to De Croo, as Biden is "clearly" in favour of strong transatlantic ties.
"His assumption of office reaffirms the Western alliance as standing firmly on its two legs: the European and the American," De Croo said, adding that he looks forward to working with the new President and his administration.
"Belgium and the United States share a lot of interests, which are best served when we work together," he said, stating that Biden embodies the return of the American political will to take on international responsibility.
Congratulations President @JoeBiden and first female vicepresident @KamalaHarris. https://t.co/i24XGEQkYo
— Alexander De Croo (@alexanderdecroo) January 20, 2021
As the home of the EU and NATO, Belgium stands ready to work with the US as a "key ally" to the country, according to De Croo.
"Climate change, Covid-19 and the fight against terrorism are at the top of the long list of global challenges that we can only tackle successfully by working together, in a spirit of international cooperation and solidarity," he said.
The Prime Minister also highlighted the "particularly strong" economic relationship between the two countries, with some 900 American companies active in Belgium.
Lastly, De Croo stated that he hopes to meet President Biden soon, to strengthen ties between the two countries and drive forward their common agenda.
Maïthé Chini
The Brussels Times
