Australian-Belgian relations

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Australian-Belgian relations
Location of Australia and Belgium
AustraliaAustralia BelgiumBelgium
Australia Belgium

Bilateral relations between Australia and Belgium emerged in 1916 during the First World War when an Australian military mission was deployed in Belgium.

history

290,000 Australians fought on the Franco-Belgian front from 1916 to 1918. In particular, you were involved with numerous soldiers in Belgium in the Battle of Messines on June 7, 1917 and in the Third Battle of Flanders near Ypres from July 31 to November 6, 1917. In the three years, 12,500 Australians fell. No grave is known of half of the fallen.

population

During the 2011 Australian census, 5,762 people said they were born in Belgium. More than 10,000 stated that they are of Belgian descent.

Political Relations

Australia operates an embassy in the Belgian capital Brussels , Belgium one in the Australian capital Canberra .

State visits

The Australian Minister for Economic Affairs, Steven Ciobo, visited Brussels from April 28th to 29th 2016 to meet Belgian business people. Finance Minister Mathias Cormann , born in Belgium, led the Australian delegation at a memorial ceremony in Flanders on ANZAC Day 2015 (April 25) . ANZAC Day is Australia's annual national memorial day, commemorating the Australian, New Zealand and Tongan soldiers who died in an allied force in World War I. Defense Minister Kevin Andrews visited Belgium on ANZAC Day 2015.

The then Crown Prince and now King Philippe visited Australia in November 2012.

Economic relationships

In 2015, Australian exports to Belgium, mainly amounted to coal and other fossil fuels , about 1.2 billion Australian dollars . Imports from Belgium, which in 2015 consisted mainly of medicines , cars and textiles, stood at A $ 1.6 billion at the time.

Australia is Belgium's 32nd largest export destination and 40th largest source of imports. Belgium is Australia's 23rd largest export destination and 26th largest source of imports.

Web links

Commons : Australian-Belgian relations  - collection of pictures, videos and audio files

Individual evidence

  1. ↑ a b c Belgium Country Brief DFAT with information about the relations between the two countries. Last accessed on September 24, 2016
  2. ↑ BELGIUM DFAT with a fact sheet on trade between the two countries. Last accessed on September 24, 2016