Interview with His Excellency Mr Rik Van Droogenbroeck Ambassador of the Kingdom of Belgium to the Republic of Poland
Q: How would you describe the current state of bilateral relations between Belgium and Poland, and what are the key areas of cooperation and collaboration?
A: Belgium and Poland enjoy a strong relationship, bilaterally and as partners in the EU, NATO and in many other international organizations. We have many objectives in common with regard to important issues on the international agenda. The war in Ukraine has further reinforced Poland’s position as a vital political actor and has turned Poland into a hub for international support to Ukraine, including for military and humanitarian aid from my country. We very much appreciate Poland’s role in this regard.
However, these past few years, we have also engaged, together with other European partners, with the Polish government on specific issues of concern, such as certain aspects with regard to the rule of law.
Poland and Belgium are also important trading partners. Poland is the 8th most important export destination and the 14th importer of Belgian products. Hundreds of Belgian companies have invested in Poland and employ thousands of people all over the country. They are strongly involved in Poland’s green transition and built some of the landmark buildings in Warsaw, Gdansk and other Polish cities.
Q: What is Belgium’s perspective on soft power and new media is it an underestimated power of diplomacy?
A: The way public diplomacy is conducted has changed tremendously these past decades because of new technologies, the constant flow of information and the expectations of the general public.
Diplomacy used to be something which was mainly conducted behind closed doors. There is still a need for discretion to build trust but at the same time it is also important to be on the public stage if you want to get your message out. Unfortunately, public diplomacy tools are also increasingly used to spread disinformation and lies. As a result, exposing and combating these lies has become increasingly important in communication efforts.
Public diplomacy is an essential part of the work of an ambassador and an embassy. Interviews, visits to schools, receiving groups at the embassy, taking part in a film festival, these and many other forms of public diplomacy contribute to conveying our views and highlighting the values we stand for.
Q: What are the challenges facing Polish-Belgian cooperation in the coming years – both in Brussels at the EU level and in Warsaw bilaterally?
A: There are far more external challenges that Poland and Belgium have to face together than challenges in our own cooperation. Whatever challenges exist, it is important to be able to address them and come up with common solutions. We look forward to working with the new Polish government in this respect.
Q: What diplomatic actions can be taken in the context of the economic and energy crisis in Central and Eastern Europe? How can Belgium play a significant role in this regard?
A: Such complex issues cannot be managed by Poland or Belgium alone. They should be dealt with at the European and international level. Since the outbreak of the energy crisis, Belgium has been advocating closer cooperation and European solutions to overcome these problems: From the start, we have been in favour of gas price limiting mechanisms, joint gas purchases and using our infrastructure to help out partners.
Belgian companies are also contributing to enhance Poland’s and the EU’s energy independence and economic resilience, for instance through their work in the emerging Polish hydrogen sector, the construction of offshore wind farms and the production of active cathode materials for electric vehicle batteries.
Q: How does public diplomacy contribute to enhancing economic and trade ties between Poland and Belgium? Are there specific sectors or industries where collaboration is particularly strong?
A: Hundreds of Belgian companies are active in various sectors all over Poland, both in production and services. They produce chemical components, food stuffs, pharmaceuticals, products for everyday use and many other essential elements of Poland’s economy. They also maintain and enlarge Polish ports and waterways and play an important role in the Polish logistics chain. Developers and construction companies are present in Poland for several decades and have literally contributed to shaping the skyline of Polish cities and providing modern and comfortable homes, offices and industrial sites.
Public diplomacy, in its many forms, can be used to highlight the role Belgian companies are playing and to promote Belgian products.
Q: As public opinion can be diverse, how do Poland and Belgium handle potential differences in values or viewpoints when engaging in public diplomacy? How do they strive to maintain open dialogue while promoting their own interests?
A: All EU member states share a set of values, freedoms and principles enshrined in the Treaties. Belgium actively promotes these values around the world, including through its public diplomacy actions. As an embassy we do the same in Poland in our communication on social media, in our meetings with officials, students, school pupils and civil society, by taking part in the Equality Parade in Warsaw, etc.
Belgium is in favour of an open dialogue on these and other topics while presenting and defending at the same time the values and principles it stands for.
Q: According to the official publication, the Belgian Presidency will focus on culture and public participation for informing and raising awareness of European policies among citizens and civil society. In doing so, what other priorities can Europeans expect next Presidential agenda?
A: We will continue the excellent work of the previous presidencies, including our trio-partner Spain and focus on a number of topics which have already been discussed in the past months and years and can be summarized in a few thematic categories:
- Migration, border, security and foreign policy will remain high on the agenda. We hope to finalize the negotiations on the Pact on Migration and Asylum.
- Democracy, rule of law and values, which includes making progress on the Defense of Democracy Package and the European Democracy Action Plan
- Strengthening the EU’s internal market, competitiveness, economy and trade requires action on many different topics, among them energy security, the Strategic Technologies for Europe Platform and the reform of the World Trade Organization.
- The green and digital transition
- The EU’s social dimension, employment and health
- The EU’s Strategic Agenda 2024-2029
Q: European Parliament elections are due in June 2024, during the last month of the Belgian Presidency of the Council of the European Union. The result of the elections will set the tone to implement the efforts laid down during the Presidency. However, much of the elections will be determined under a growing political energy, food and social welfare crisis. How does the incoming presidency aim to navigate such a challenging landscape?
A: Some of the challenges and opportunities for the Belgian presidency will be the same as those previous presidencies encountered, such as the need to push forward the EU’s green transition, energy independence, strategic autonomy and migration policy and the support to Ukraine. The main difference is the timing. The European Parliament elections in June 2024 only provide us with a limited time frame of a few months to finalize negotiations on the remaining important legislative files. However, this situation will also give us the opportunity to use our 13th Belgian EU Presidency to focus on the EU’s Strategic Agenda for the coming five years.
Although some of the topics and priorities of our presidency have been discussed before, the EU’s approach has changed and developed considerably. We are now better prepared for a new energy crisis, we have started working on the 12th EU sanctions package against Russia and Belarus and we are making progress in the negotiations on the Pact on Migration and Asylum.
Many challenges remain of course and it is therefore crucial for EU member states and the EU institutions to work together and come up with effective political solutions.
Rik Van Droogenbroeck Ambassador of the Kingdom of Belgium to the Republic of Poland
Mr. Rik van Droogenbroeck performs diplomatic service as Ambassador Extraordinary and Plenipotentiary not only in Poland, but also in Lithuania in the same time. He started his mission on September 15, 2022
About the interviewer:
Patrycja Sokołowska graduated with an MA in National Security at the Military University of Technology in Warsaw, specializing in euro-atlantic security. Additionally, she holds a BA in International Security and Diplomacy from the War Studies University (Warsaw, Poland).Communication & Promotion Specialist at the Warsaw Institute. She is an Editor in Chief at The Warsaw Institute Review quarterly, too. In June 2023, defended her diploma thesis entitled: “NATO deterrence startegy”. Her main area of interest are the security of the Euro-Atlantic area, geopolitics and public diplomacy. She gained professional experience during internships held by government administration institution, as well as private corporation and NGOs.
