Belgian Chief of Protocol revives relations with ACP
Brussels, 1 October 2011: The Chief of Protocol from the Belgian Ministry of Foreign Affairs, External Trade and Development Cooperation paid a special visit to the Committee of Ambassadors last week to bolster relations with representatives of the ACP family of nations.
Mr Pierre Labouverie, who has a long history of ambassadorship in various ACP countries, led the visiting delegation, accompanied by Deputy Chiefs of Protocol Mr Christian Van den Hove and Adviser to Embassies Mr Carl Peeters.
It was the first visit of its kind from the Foreign Affairs department to the ACP House.
“This is a new era in the relationship between the Protocol Office and the various embassies,” Mr Labouverie told Ambassadors.
He proposed a more efficient system of periodic meetings between teams of representatives from the Protocol Office andACP Ambassadors to go over any questions or issues arising in managing diplomatic relations with the different embassies.
The Committee welcomed the proposal and the new initiative for collaboration with theBelgian Protocol Office.
Despite its small size, Belgium hosts the most diplomats than any nation in the world, with 186 country embassies and more than 300 diplomatic missions in total.
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