“Communal tensions have caused turmoil in our land, and led to early elections which brought major political changes,” he said. “Now we have to turn towards the future. It is essential for our regions and communities to create new forms of cooperation with which everyone can feel at ease. Painful issues which have led to divisions need to be resolved, and a new balance found between the federal state and the entities which make it up.”

The King also recalled his recent visit to the former colony Congo on the occasion of the 50th anniversary of independence. And he made allusion to an issue which he declined to address during the trip, leading to criticism: the severe human rights issues in the country, particularly in the case of women.

“To those Congolese who we met I expressed my admiration for the courage and determination throughout a history which has known happy moments such as this anniversary, but also difficult and dramatic periods. That admiration is for the whole population, a young and lively people where the role of women deserves special mention. As well as creating homes, they also work constantly for the benefit of their families, despite in some areas being severely mistreated,” the King said.

Finally, the King promised he and the Queen, as well as other members of the Royal family, would take part in various meetings and seminars on specific subjects during the Belgian presidency of the EU, such as family policy, the fight against poverty and human trafficking, as well as the development of a Europe-wide Child Focus.