Belgium–Ukraine relations
Encyclopedia
Belgium–Ukraine relations are foreign relations between Belgium
and Ukraine
. Diplomatic relations were established in 1992. Belgium has an embassy in Kiev
; Ukraine has an embassy in Brussels
and two honorary consulates (in Antwerp and Mons
). Although politically the two nations are not closely connected, they have a long history of economic integration and trade, with Belgian investment playing a role in the contemporary Ukrainian economy. As of 2008, trade revenue generated between the two nations accounted for approximately USD1 billion.
and Flanders
and what is now Belgium were established as early as the 11th century. By 1600, trade between the two regions had developed fully, particularly that of textiles and jewellery. Merchants from Kiev
arrived in Flanders with furs and purchased textiles. In return merchants transported wool and amber jewellery to Lviv
in exchange of furs, silk
and oriental seasoning.
At the turn of the 20th century, Belgian manufacturers played a major role in the industrial growth of Ukraine. The first lines of the electric tramway in Kiev and Odessa
were constructed by the Belgian company “Tractebel”. This company is still active in the Ukrainian infrastructure.
Although textile trading has declined in significance, the industrial relationship between the regions, especially in the manufacturing sector, is a major one. As of 2008 trade between the two nations accounted for US$ 1 billion. Ukraine is a notable exporter to Belgium of precious metals and minerals, oil products and chemicals whilst Belgium is a major supplier to Ukraine of machines, industrial and electrotechnical equipment, chemicals, rubber, and also certain metals. The nations are also connected in the beer industry, with the Belgian brewing company Interbrew
having a share of 34.3% in the Ukrainian beer market, thanks to its cooperation with the Ukrainian brewers of Chernigiv, Kharkiv and Mykolaiv. General Belgian investments in the economy of Ukraine had grown rapidly and as of July 2008, some US$ 44 million was put in the Ukrainian economy by Belgian investors, with 31.5% into wholesale trade, 16% into transport and communications, 15% into the food-processing industry (15%) and 13% into mechanical engineering respectively. A number of Ukrainian companies are primarily financed by Belgian investment.
In October 2008, the two nations became further integrated in the agricultural sector too when Belgian firm Rattlerow Seghers and Ukrainian Elita Farms signed an agreement to develop pig production in Ukraine.
Rattlerow Seghers delivered the first shipment breeding stock consisting of 192 pigs from Belgium to Elita Farms in Ukraine in January 2009. Rattlerow Seghers had exported the first breeding animals to Ukraine in 2004 and pigs have been successfully marketed using Belgian stock since the beginning of 2005, witnessing a growing demand and pressure to run larger pig farms in the country. The agreement in 2009 was made after close negotiations between the government institutes of both countries and important figures in the agricultural sector, both politically through representation and within the industry itself. Notable figures in the agreement included the Minister of Agriculture of Ukraine, Melnik Yuriy Fedorovych. The agreement not only supplies breeding stock but also expert knowledge from Belgium and training programs to enchance the efficiency of the Ukrainian pig industry and facilitate growth and production after a period of economic decline.
around 1919, but since the Declaration of State Sovereignty of Ukraine
in 1991 new relations have been established since March 10, 1992. Belgium along with other European states formally recognised the independence of Ukraine on 31 December 1991. Leonid Kravchuk
, the first president of an independent modern Ukraine, paid a diplomatic visit to Brussels
in July 1992. On a parliamentary level, both Ukraine and Belgium have deputies and ambassadors functioning in the parliaments of both countries. Aside from national political connections, there are ties at a city level, particularly between the capitals of Kiev
and Brussels
and the twin cities of Donetsk
and Charleroi
, but also regionally between the Poltava
region and Hainaut province. About 4,000 people involved in bilateral relations between Ukraine and Belgium.
In 2008 Belgium and Ukraine delegates including the Minister of Economic Affairs of Ukraine, Bohdan Danylyshyn, and the Minister for Belgian Enterprises, Vincent Van Kikenborn, met at the Ukrainian-Belgian Intergovernmental Joint Commission to discuss problems of bilateral trade, economic and financial relations between the two nations focusing on a 1997 treaty. In the meeting Danylyshyn revealed that Ukraine considers Belgian investment and the wider European Union
alliance as of major importance to the Ukrainian economy as it becomes integrated in the world market. During the meeting, new investment projects were discussed into various sectors of the economy and the further development of transport industry, logistics, agriculture and tourism. Mutual obligations to comply to fossil fuel targets, energy conservation and the need to increase the use of alternative sources of energy
between the two nations within the wider global framework were also discussed.
On March 23, 2009. Ukrainian President Viktor Yushchenko
and Prime Minister Yulia Tymoshenko
travelled to Brussels for an international investment conference to discuss the modernisation of Ukraine's gas transit system and supplies.
regularly perform in Belgium. In addition the Academic Symphonic Orchestra of the National Philharmonic of Ukraine was conducted by the Belgian conductor Ronald Zollman
. On April 4, 2009 a gala concert by the Academic Symphonic Orchestra of the National Philharmonic of Ukraine was held in Kiev to commemorate 60 years of NATO. Organized by the NATO Information and Documentation Centre (NIDC) in conjunction with the embassies of Belgium and Slovakia, the Belgian Ambassador Mark Vinck spoke out at the event and the importance of music in good international relations, noting that the anniversary was “a timely occasion to recall the Alliance’s major contribution to peace and security in Europe and in the wider world, and to stress how much important it is to continue to strengthen the relations with Ukraine, but also to develop good relations with all neighboring countries.”
A number of monuments in Belgium commemorate Ukrainian figures or history. One notable example is the "Holodomor
" monument by Mykola Telizhenko which was erected in 2003 at St. Michael Cathedral in Genk
to commemorate the 70th anniversary of the Holodomor.
Belgium
Belgium , officially the Kingdom of Belgium, is a federal state in Western Europe. It is a founding member of the European Union and hosts the EU's headquarters, and those of several other major international organisations such as NATO.Belgium is also a member of, or affiliated to, many...
and Ukraine
Ukraine
Ukraine is a country in Eastern Europe. It has an area of 603,628 km², making it the second largest contiguous country on the European continent, after Russia...
. Diplomatic relations were established in 1992. Belgium has an embassy in Kiev
Kiev
Kiev or Kyiv is the capital and the largest city of Ukraine, located in the north central part of the country on the Dnieper River. The population as of the 2001 census was 2,611,300. However, higher numbers have been cited in the press....
; Ukraine has an embassy in Brussels
Brussels
Brussels , officially the Brussels Region or Brussels-Capital Region , is the capital of Belgium and the de facto capital of the European Union...
and two honorary consulates (in Antwerp and Mons
Mons
Mons is a Walloon city and municipality located in the Belgian province of Hainaut, of which it is the capital. The Mons municipality includes the old communes of Cuesmes, Flénu, Ghlin, Hyon, Nimy, Obourg, Baudour , Jemappes, Ciply, Harmignies, Harveng, Havré, Maisières, Mesvin, Nouvelles,...
). Although politically the two nations are not closely connected, they have a long history of economic integration and trade, with Belgian investment playing a role in the contemporary Ukrainian economy. As of 2008, trade revenue generated between the two nations accounted for approximately USD1 billion.
History
Trade links between Kievan Rus'Kievan Rus'
Kievan Rus was a medieval polity in Eastern Europe, from the late 9th to the mid 13th century, when it disintegrated under the pressure of the Mongol invasion of 1237–1240....
and Flanders
Flanders
Flanders is the community of the Flemings but also one of the institutions in Belgium, and a geographical region located in parts of present-day Belgium, France and the Netherlands. "Flanders" can also refer to the northern part of Belgium that contains Brussels, Bruges, Ghent and Antwerp...
and what is now Belgium were established as early as the 11th century. By 1600, trade between the two regions had developed fully, particularly that of textiles and jewellery. Merchants from Kiev
Kiev
Kiev or Kyiv is the capital and the largest city of Ukraine, located in the north central part of the country on the Dnieper River. The population as of the 2001 census was 2,611,300. However, higher numbers have been cited in the press....
arrived in Flanders with furs and purchased textiles. In return merchants transported wool and amber jewellery to Lviv
Lviv
Lviv is a city in western Ukraine. The city is regarded as one of the main cultural centres of today's Ukraine and historically has also been a major Polish and Jewish cultural center, as Poles and Jews were the two main ethnicities of the city until the outbreak of World War II and the following...
in exchange of furs, silk
Silk
Silk is a natural protein fiber, some forms of which can be woven into textiles. The best-known type of silk is obtained from the cocoons of the larvae of the mulberry silkworm Bombyx mori reared in captivity...
and oriental seasoning.
At the turn of the 20th century, Belgian manufacturers played a major role in the industrial growth of Ukraine. The first lines of the electric tramway in Kiev and Odessa
Odessa
Odessa or Odesa is the administrative center of the Odessa Oblast located in southern Ukraine. The city is a major seaport located on the northwest shore of the Black Sea and the fourth largest city in Ukraine with a population of 1,029,000 .The predecessor of Odessa, a small Tatar settlement,...
were constructed by the Belgian company “Tractebel”. This company is still active in the Ukrainian infrastructure.
Economic relations
Traditional ties between the two regions have continued and trade and economic cooperation between Ukraine and Belgium has continued to develop. Between 1999 to 2003 the bulk of exports to Ukraine doubled, with the Belgian Agency for Foreign Trade figures revealing an increase again in 2004 by 23.47% and amounted to 209,872 million euros.Although textile trading has declined in significance, the industrial relationship between the regions, especially in the manufacturing sector, is a major one. As of 2008 trade between the two nations accounted for US$ 1 billion. Ukraine is a notable exporter to Belgium of precious metals and minerals, oil products and chemicals whilst Belgium is a major supplier to Ukraine of machines, industrial and electrotechnical equipment, chemicals, rubber, and also certain metals. The nations are also connected in the beer industry, with the Belgian brewing company Interbrew
Interbrew
Interbrew was a large Belgium-based brewing company which owned many internationally known beers, as well as some smaller local beers. In 2004 Interbrew merged with Brazilian brewer AmBev to form InBev, which is the now largest brewer in the world by volume, with a 13% global market share now...
having a share of 34.3% in the Ukrainian beer market, thanks to its cooperation with the Ukrainian brewers of Chernigiv, Kharkiv and Mykolaiv. General Belgian investments in the economy of Ukraine had grown rapidly and as of July 2008, some US$ 44 million was put in the Ukrainian economy by Belgian investors, with 31.5% into wholesale trade, 16% into transport and communications, 15% into the food-processing industry (15%) and 13% into mechanical engineering respectively. A number of Ukrainian companies are primarily financed by Belgian investment.
In October 2008, the two nations became further integrated in the agricultural sector too when Belgian firm Rattlerow Seghers and Ukrainian Elita Farms signed an agreement to develop pig production in Ukraine.
Rattlerow Seghers delivered the first shipment breeding stock consisting of 192 pigs from Belgium to Elita Farms in Ukraine in January 2009. Rattlerow Seghers had exported the first breeding animals to Ukraine in 2004 and pigs have been successfully marketed using Belgian stock since the beginning of 2005, witnessing a growing demand and pressure to run larger pig farms in the country. The agreement in 2009 was made after close negotiations between the government institutes of both countries and important figures in the agricultural sector, both politically through representation and within the industry itself. Notable figures in the agreement included the Minister of Agriculture of Ukraine, Melnik Yuriy Fedorovych. The agreement not only supplies breeding stock but also expert knowledge from Belgium and training programs to enchance the efficiency of the Ukrainian pig industry and facilitate growth and production after a period of economic decline.
Political relations
Belgium became connected diplomatically with Ukraine at the beginning of the Soviet UnionSoviet Union
The Soviet Union , officially the Union of Soviet Socialist Republics , was a constitutionally socialist state that existed in Eurasia between 1922 and 1991....
around 1919, but since the Declaration of State Sovereignty of Ukraine
Declaration of State Sovereignty of Ukraine
The Declaration of State Sovereignty of Ukraine was adopted on July 16, 1990 by the recently elected parliament of Ukrainian SSR.The Declaration established the principles of Self-Determination of the Ukrainian Nation, Rule of the People, State Power, Citizenship of the Ukrainian SSR, Territorial...
in 1991 new relations have been established since March 10, 1992. Belgium along with other European states formally recognised the independence of Ukraine on 31 December 1991. Leonid Kravchuk
Leonid Kravchuk
Leonid Makarovych Kravchuk is a Ukrainian politician, the first President of Ukraine serving from December 5, 1991 until his resignation on July 19, 1994, a former Chairman of the Verkhovna Rada and People's Deputy of Ukraine serving in the Social Democratic Party of Ukraine faction.After a...
, the first president of an independent modern Ukraine, paid a diplomatic visit to Brussels
Brussels
Brussels , officially the Brussels Region or Brussels-Capital Region , is the capital of Belgium and the de facto capital of the European Union...
in July 1992. On a parliamentary level, both Ukraine and Belgium have deputies and ambassadors functioning in the parliaments of both countries. Aside from national political connections, there are ties at a city level, particularly between the capitals of Kiev
Kiev
Kiev or Kyiv is the capital and the largest city of Ukraine, located in the north central part of the country on the Dnieper River. The population as of the 2001 census was 2,611,300. However, higher numbers have been cited in the press....
and Brussels
Brussels
Brussels , officially the Brussels Region or Brussels-Capital Region , is the capital of Belgium and the de facto capital of the European Union...
and the twin cities of Donetsk
Donetsk
Donetsk , is a large city in eastern Ukraine on the Kalmius river. Administratively, it is a center of Donetsk Oblast, while historically, it is the unofficial capital and largest city of the economic and cultural Donets Basin region...
and Charleroi
Charleroi
Charleroi is a city and a municipality of Wallonia, located in the province of Hainaut, Belgium. , the total population of Charleroi was 201,593. The metropolitan area, including the outer commuter zone, covers an area of and had a total population of 522,522 as of 1 January 2008, ranking it as...
, but also regionally between the Poltava
Poltava
Poltava is a city in located on the Vorskla River in central Ukraine. It is the administrative center of the Poltava Oblast , as well as the surrounding Poltava Raion of the oblast. Poltava's estimated population is 298,652 ....
region and Hainaut province. About 4,000 people involved in bilateral relations between Ukraine and Belgium.
In 2008 Belgium and Ukraine delegates including the Minister of Economic Affairs of Ukraine, Bohdan Danylyshyn, and the Minister for Belgian Enterprises, Vincent Van Kikenborn, met at the Ukrainian-Belgian Intergovernmental Joint Commission to discuss problems of bilateral trade, economic and financial relations between the two nations focusing on a 1997 treaty. In the meeting Danylyshyn revealed that Ukraine considers Belgian investment and the wider European Union
European Union
The European Union is an economic and political union of 27 independent member states which are located primarily in Europe. The EU traces its origins from the European Coal and Steel Community and the European Economic Community , formed by six countries in 1958...
alliance as of major importance to the Ukrainian economy as it becomes integrated in the world market. During the meeting, new investment projects were discussed into various sectors of the economy and the further development of transport industry, logistics, agriculture and tourism. Mutual obligations to comply to fossil fuel targets, energy conservation and the need to increase the use of alternative sources of energy
Alternative energy
Alternative energy is an umbrella term that refers to any source of usable energy intended to replace fuel sources without the undesired consequences of the replaced fuels....
between the two nations within the wider global framework were also discussed.
On March 23, 2009. Ukrainian President Viktor Yushchenko
Viktor Yushchenko
Viktor Andriyovych Yushchenko is a former President of Ukraine. He took office on January 23, 2005, following a period of popular unrest known as the Orange Revolution...
and Prime Minister Yulia Tymoshenko
Yulia Tymoshenko
Yulia Volodymyrivna Tymoshenko , née Grigyan , born 27 November 1960, is a Ukrainian politician. She was the Prime Minister of Ukraine from 24 January to 8 September 2005, and again from 18 December 2007 to 4 March 2010. She placed third in Forbes Magazine's List of The World's 100 Most Powerful...
travelled to Brussels for an international investment conference to discuss the modernisation of Ukraine's gas transit system and supplies.
Cultural relations
Expositions are regularly held in the most esteemed galleries of Brussels and other major Belgian cities, and Ukrainian artwork (both sculpture and painting) has a considerable following in Belgium. In regard to music, the National Symphonic Orchestra of Ukraine, Orchestra of the Armed Forces of Ukraine, Military Band of the Southern Operational Command HQ of the Armed Forces of Ukraine, and various Kiev based choirs and orchestras such as Kyiv Classic OrchestraKyiv Classic Orchestra
The Kyiv Classic Orchestra is a non-governmental orchestra based in Kiev, Ukraine. Its current conductor and music director is Dr. Herman Makarenko. The orchestra is administered by The Kyiv Classic Corporation...
regularly perform in Belgium. In addition the Academic Symphonic Orchestra of the National Philharmonic of Ukraine was conducted by the Belgian conductor Ronald Zollman
Ronald Zollman
Ronald Zollman is a Belgian conductor. He began musical studies at age 4. He attended the Royal Conservatories in Antwerp and in Brussels, and later studied with Igor Markevitch and Nadia Boulanger....
. On April 4, 2009 a gala concert by the Academic Symphonic Orchestra of the National Philharmonic of Ukraine was held in Kiev to commemorate 60 years of NATO. Organized by the NATO Information and Documentation Centre (NIDC) in conjunction with the embassies of Belgium and Slovakia, the Belgian Ambassador Mark Vinck spoke out at the event and the importance of music in good international relations, noting that the anniversary was “a timely occasion to recall the Alliance’s major contribution to peace and security in Europe and in the wider world, and to stress how much important it is to continue to strengthen the relations with Ukraine, but also to develop good relations with all neighboring countries.”
A number of monuments in Belgium commemorate Ukrainian figures or history. One notable example is the "Holodomor
Holodomor
The Holodomor was a man-made famine in the Ukrainian SSR between 1932 and 1933. During the famine, which is also known as the "terror-famine in Ukraine" and "famine-genocide in Ukraine", millions of Ukrainians died of starvation in a peacetime catastrophe unprecedented in the history of...
" monument by Mykola Telizhenko which was erected in 2003 at St. Michael Cathedral in Genk
Genk
Genk is a city and municipality located in the Belgian province of Limburg near Hasselt. The municipality only comprises the city of Genk itself...
to commemorate the 70th anniversary of the Holodomor.