Premier Michel to promote Belgium abroad

Belgian prime minister Charles Michel has announced plans for an international tour to boost Belgium's image abroad, write De Tijd and Het Nieuwsblad. The exact destinations have yet to be determined, but the tour will focus on countries with high economic growth.

Premier Michel has already put considerable effort into promoting Belgium as an attractive country for investors, such as during the World Economic Forum in Davos, but also in May during his visit to Japan. This spring, Michel will present the advantages of Belgium's new tax shift agreement, which is expected to significantly reduce labour costs.

It has not yet been decided which countries Michel will visit along the tour. "We're getting a lot of calls from abroad. It is a matter of making the right choices," Michel's cabinet told De Tijd.

The trip also provides the prime minister with an opportunity to clean up Belgium's image after it was labelled a “failed state” by international media following the increased terror alert level of recent months.