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NEWS & PUBLICATIONSBelgium Today March 2011FRANCOPHONIE HONORS LIBRARIAN OF CONGRESS At the March 3 reception he hosted to kick off this year's Francophonie Cultural Festival in Washington, DC, Ambassador Jan Matthysen awarded the "Grand Prix de la Francophonie" to Dr. James Billington, the Librarian of Congress. For the third year in a row, the Ambassadors of francophone countries have singled out an American who has promoted both the French language and cultural and linguistic diversity. Former recipients of the prize were Senator Mary Landrieu of Louisiana (2009) and General Jim Jones, then U.S. National Security Advisor (2010). In his remarks, delivered mostly in French, Dr. Billington spoke of his long-time personal and professional links to the French-speaking world that have facilitated his research. He also mentioned Library of Congress events and programs "that are periodic reminders of what France has given us." Also honored during the evening was Angélique Kidjo, a Grammy Award-winning singer and songwriter from Benin. She received the "Prix Spécial de la Francophonie" for her educational and cultural work. Opening on March 2 with a panel discussion on French Immersion Programs and closing on April 15 with disco dancing at the National Postal Museum, the six-week program of the annual Francophonie Festival in Washington, DC, offers something for everyone interested in the French- speaking world. For the complete schedule of concerts, special events (including the March 18 Grande Fête featuring culinary specialties and live music), theatre, lectures, films and more, click here. BRILLIANT INVESTMENT, SWEET RETURN: BELGIUM'S ASSETS In cooperation with the offices of Minister of Foreign Affairs Vanackere and Prime Minister Leterme, FPS Foreign Affairs has put together a brochure that highlights the country’s assets, to present Belgium as an attractive country for foreign investors. The brochure, entitled “Belgium: brilliant investment, sweet return" is available in English, and begins with an introductory overview of Belgium’s strengths. Readers are invited to find out what Belgium has to offer through a series of short articles from independent and objective sources. There is also a sheet put together by FPS Finance, offering an overview of the most significant taxation aspects that may be of interest to potential investors. This sheet is entitled “Smart taxation in Belgium.” AMBASSADOR SPEAKS ON EUROPEAN MILITARY SHARING At an event at the Center for Strategic and International Studies, in Washington DC, on February 23, Ambassador Jan Matthysen elaborated on the advantages of further integration among European militaries, in order to build more effective military capabilities in Europe. The CSIS event focused on how Euro-Atlantic security can be enhanced in today’s uncertain times. Ambassador Matthysen underscored the need for “pooling and sharing” and he pointed to the possibilities of the new Lisbon Treaty to make this happen within the European Union. Several pooling and sharing initiatives are already underway, often on a bilateral basis between two European countries. The Belgian and Dutch Navies, for example, have been integrated for more than a decade, while French and Belgian jet pilots use joint training infrastructure, which allows both nations to maintain their air force capacity for less money. Four EU countries (Germany, the Netherlands, France and Belgium) decided to merge their Command and Control for Air Transport in the EATC (European Air Transport Control) in Eindhoven (The Netherlands). And on November 2 last year, French President Sarkozy and British Prime Minister Cameron announced a far reaching military cooperation agreement. The need for greater efficiency in military spending will be felt even more in an era of greater austerity. As the Ambassador explained, the new Lisbon Treaty, in particular the possibility for so called “permanent structured cooperation,” makes it possible to streamline the ongoing initiatives and to bring about this greater efficiency. This, in turn, will also be good for the US and for NATO: stronger European capabilities will lead to a stronger transatlantic defense alliance. KIM CLIJSTERS TOPS WTA IN FEBRUARY On February 14 Kim Clijsters was ranked No. 1 by the Women's Tennis Association, repeating a feat she achieved in 2003 and again in 2006. The tennis ace quit the game in 2007 to have a baby, returning two years later to win the U.S. Open in both 2009 and 2010. In January of this year she won the Australian Open, making the twenty-seven-year-old a four-timeGrandSlamwinner. Clijsters' recent reign at the WTA summit was, however, very brief: on February 21 Danish player Caroline Wozniacki reclaimed the top spot. "MARATHON MAN" SETS WORLD RECORD Belgian runner Stefaan Engels' goal was to promote physical fitness by running 365 marathons in 365 days and, on February 5, he did it -- setting a Guinness World Record. The forty-nine-year-old Engels, a former asthmatic, ran a total of 9,569 miles in seven countries: Belgium, Canada, Mexico, Portugal, Spain, the U.K and the U.S.
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