Consulate General of Belgium in Los Angeles

🇧🇪 Each week, our colleagues from share with us the latest Belgian news.
In this week's edition:

1️⃣ Belgian engineers supplied their know-how in the run-up to the Paris Olympics, providing the city with a brand-new metro station. 🔗 https://focusonbelgium.be/.../did-you-know-about-belgian... © Creative commons
2️⃣ Two Belgian universities are among the 50 best in Europe, according to a new ranking. https://focusonbelgium.be/.../two-belgian-universities... © Creative commons
3️⃣ The Belgian pavilion at the Venice Architecture Biennale 2025 will celebrate the work of landscape architect Bas Smets, winner of the competition with his Building Biospheres project. 🔗 https://focusonbelgium.be/.../bas-smets-venice-project... © Pixabay
4️⃣ Belgian swimmer Sarah Dumont won the 7.5km race in the 16-17 years age category at the European Junior Open Water Swimming Championships. 🔗 https://focusonbelgium.be/.../sarah-dumont-crowned... © Shutterstock / Artyphoto Stock
5️⃣ Discover the Belgian athletics selection for the upcoming Olympics. 🔗 https://focusonbelgium.be/.../were-paris-olympics-athletics © Belga / Shutterstock

We are happy to share that Consul General Sophie Hottat had the pleasure of meeting Mika Webster-Longin, a talented Belgian-American gymnast who just joined the UCLA gymnastics team 🏅🇧🇪🇺🇸

In addition to her achievements in the U.S., Mika also competes with the Belgian National Gymnastics Team since last year. We are incredibly proud of Mika and wish her all the best in her promising gymnastics career!

Embassy of Belgium in the United States of America

📸 Attention all photographers - participate in 𝗕𝗲𝗹𝗴𝗶𝘂𝗺'𝘀 𝗽𝗵𝗼𝘁𝗼𝗴𝗿𝗮𝗽𝗵𝘆 𝗰𝗼𝗺𝗽𝗲𝘁𝗶𝘁𝗶𝗼𝗻 and perhaps your pictures will become the new face of Belgium worldwide!

🌷🏖️🍂⛄ What?
At the initiative of Focus On Belgium and Diplomatie.Belgium, a photography competition is being held focused on Belgium's Four Seasons. From spring to summer,, and fall to winter, provide your own take on Belgium's beauty!

🤔 Who?
Whether you live in Belgium or abroad, anyone can participate!

⏳ When?
The deadline to send in your work is September 5th, 2024.

🏆 Prize?
No competition without a prize of course!
The 20 best pictures are published on Facebook to allow public voting. Aside from a public prize, there is also one jury prize - both offering a gift voucher of €250!
Also, the 20 best pictures will be used as promotion material for Belgium on a worldwide scale!

📜 Keep in mind:
- One picture per person
- ⁠Only digital pictures in color (jpg, jpeg, png)
- ⁠Max. 8MB
- ⁠No inscriptions on the picture but be sure to mention: date, place and your email.

ℹ️ Interested?
More information on the website:
https://focusonbelgium.be/en/lifestyle/enter-our-photo-contest-0

✌️ Good luck!

Are you feeling nostalgic about World Chocolate Day?
Are you craving ganache, orangettes, chocolate mousse and gianduja bars?

NO NEED TO PANIC!

The US is home to many Belgian chocolate stores, like Neuhaus, Leonidas, Mojo Desserts and BE Chocolat

Order in person or online and get your 🍫 fix!

Filip Vanden Bulcke
Embassy of Belgium in the United States of America

🇺🇸🎆 Happy 4th of July! 🎆🇺🇸

Today, we join our American friends in celebrating Independence Day.
From all of us at the Belgian Consulate General in Los Angeles, we wish you a joyful and safe celebration with your loved ones.

Belgian nationals residing or traveling in the US and requiring urgent assistance, can reach our duty officer.

Please visit http://www.belgiumintheusa.be

🇧🇪🇺🇸

BELGIAN NATIONAL DAY PICNIC
SUNDAY JULY 21, 2024 - NOON TO 4 PM
Location: Buckeye Picnic Area, Tilden Regional Park, Berkeley, CA

The Belgian Club of Northern California invites you to its annual Belgian National Day Picnic, on Sunday, July 21 at the Buckeye Picnic Area in the Tilden Regional Park in Berkeley, CA.

BCNC will provide all food and drinks (water, lemonade, beer, wine) for this event. The Buckeye Picnic Area has many tables and a double grill. We will prepare a variety of delicious meat and fish. Salads, fresh bread, cheese, veggies, fruits, and desserts are also on the menu.

So, join us for a great picnic and a wonderful gathering of members and newcomers!

Cost for this Member-only event: $30 per adult, and $10 per child (under 13 y.o.). See HERE for more details.
Registrations for this BCNC members' event need to be made by July 18.

This Independence Day Picnic promises to be a fireworks-like event of food and friends!
For more information about this event, contact [email protected]. To check on your 2024 membership status, contact [email protected].

🇧🇪 ❤️ Thank you to all our incredible fans who came out to cheer for the Belgian Red Devils at the European Championship! Your support and enthusiasm has been much appreciated 🎉⚽️
Congratulations and good luck to France for the Euro Championship!
Now we’re already looking forward to welcome the Red Devils at the 2026 World Cup in the US, Canada and Mexico! 🌟

Attention Belgians! ✈️🚅 If you travel anywhere outside of Belgium this summer, please keep in mind that no destination is completely free from unexpected events or emergencies 🌎

Register your trip on Travellers Online to make it easier for FPS Foreign Affairs to inform and support you. Your details will always remain confidential. Stay safe and enjoy your travels!🏝️🏔️🌇

Travellers Online: https://diplomatie.belgium.be/en/travellers-online

As Belgium concludes its Presidency of the Council of the European Union on June the 30th, we hosted the final meeting with the consul generals of EU’s member states, and a small event with our main stakeholders here in Los Angeles 🇧🇪🇪🇺

This term has been marked by collaboration, progress, and shared achievements across Europe. Notably, Belgium also organized the European elections that took place in June, ensuring a smooth electoral process ✅

We are grateful that we got to share our vision and put it into practice. A heartfelt thank you to everyone who contributed to this successful term! 🤩🎉

✨Happy International Day of Women in Diplomacy!✨

Today, we join the initiative in celebrating the incredible contributions of women in the diplomatic field. We’ve gathered these pictures to put a face on Europe’s diplomatic corps here in LA, as a tribute to their dedication and leadership. Here’s to the powerful women shaping global diplomacy! 🇺🇳👏

The Consul General of Romania Lucia Sava; Jovita Neliupšienè, EU’s Ambassador in the United States; Lithuania’s CG in LA Laima Jureviciene; CG of Croatia in LA Renee Pea; CG of Belgium in LA Sophie Hottat; the Italian CG in LA Raffaella Valentini with the Chair of the Board of Supervisors of LA County Lindsey Horvath; the Governor of Arizona Katie Hobbs; the Mayor of LA Karen Bass with the CG of Greece in LA Christina Valassopoulou; Mary Robinson (Former President of Ireland) with the Irish Consul General in LA Marcella Smyth; Consul General of Germany in LA Andrea Sasse; Regional Director at OFM in LA Denise Chen; CG of France in LA Julie Duhaut-Bedos with Lindsey Horvath; and finally Honorary consul of Germany Caroline G*y, and the mayor of Phoenix Kate Gallego🙌🏼

The Select LA Summit provided an excellent platform to connect with leaders from Southern California’s key industries. Our Consul General, Sophie Hottat, attended the conference together with Hubert Goffinet (Wallonia Export) exploring investment and innovation opportunities for Belgian companies in the region 🇧🇪🇺🇸.

It was encouraging to see many European colleagues present, highlighting Europe’s significant role in California’s global economy 🇪🇺.

We extend our sincere thanks to the LAEDC, in particular Stephen Cheung and his team for organizing and moderating the event. We are grateful for the meaningful connections made and look forward to future collaboration 🤝

🌟 Exciting times at AWE in Long Beach! 🌟

Alongside representatives from FIT and AWEX, the Belgian Consul general attended the event in EU Format. Together with our European colleagues we had a guided tour of the expo hall, and met up with Ori Inbar and Nate Harper from the AWE organising team to talk about the future of European companies in the XR industry.

It was impressive to see that around 30% of AWE’s exhibitors were European, showcasing Europe’s substantial footing in XR technology. The expo provided fascinating insights into the application of XR across various sectors.

We would like to thank the AWE team for their efforts in making this event a success!

The Belgian Club of SoCal, cheering together with Belgians from all over the world, brought fans together at 9 AM to support the Red Devils during the European Championship! The early morning didn’t stop the excitement as fans proudly wore the national colors, bringing a burst of Belgian spirit to California 🇧🇪 Thank you for joining us today!
You are welcome to join us this Saturday as we continue to root for the 🔥⚽️ For more information check the official page of Belgian Club Southern California

Last week, the Consulates General of Belgium and Finland in Los Angeles had the pleasure of hosting an event celebrating European Music Export from EU countries. 🎤🎶🎸🇪🇺
In collaboration with European Music Exporters Exchange EMEE, the consulates invited export agencies visiting LA to attend an engaging panel discussion on resources for music promotion in the US, followed by an evening of networking with local industry peers.
Thank you to our panelists Jeff Kilgour, Adam Lewis, and Alexandra Greenberg for the highly interesting discussion, and to all our guests for attending the reception.
Until next time!

Images: Misha Vladimirskiy 2024

🕊️🌍 On this International Day of UN Peacekeepers, we honor the tireless efforts of those who protect people in the world’s most fragile political and security situations. Belgium places a high priority on the protection of civilians, especially women and children, in armed conflict. It is essential that the voices of women and girls are heard throughout conflict resolution and peacebuilding processes.

Memorial Day ceremony at the US Federal Cemetery, paying tribute to the brave who sacrificed for freedom. 🇧🇪🇺🇸

🗳️Voting for the Belgian federal elections and European elections on June 9 kicks off! 🌠

For voters voting by mail, the last ballots have been sent out by mail today.

Ballots must be completed and sent back to the indicated address in Belgium and arrive before June 9, 2024 at 2pm.
The deadline is short so make sure to fill out your ballot and send it back ASAP. 📮

🔴Please be aware that YOU MUST USE A RED PENCIL to cast your vote, if not it will be invalid ❗️

For voters voting in person in Belgium or Los Angeles or by proxy in Los Angeles, convocation letters will be sent out in the coming weeks. Voting will take place June 5 from 1pm - 7pm at the Consulate General’s office in Los Angeles. More details have been sent via email.🗳️

Our Consul General, Sophie Hottat, and Investment Director at Flanders Investment & Trade (FIT), Nikki Van Tendeloo, joined by Cyrille Michel, Honorary Consul for Belgium in Oregon, embarked on an inspiring three-day visit to Portland, meeting with key players in the business, economic and political landscape. The focus of the visit was the attendance to the Celebrate Trade Gala, meeting with local elites and in particular the Mayor of Portland, Ted Weehler. The visit was also the opportunity to meet with the main Belgian investor in the Portland area and the largest investors from Portland to Belgium.
 
While visiting the Headquarter of Nike, our Belgian delegation met with Bert Stevens (Global VP of Marketplace Supply Chain at Nike) and Jorge Casimiro (Chief Government & Public Affairs Officer), to exchange on the 30 years presence of Nike distribution center in Laakdal, in Flanders. Another visit was brought to Oregon Tool, a long-time investor to Belgium and to Belgian EMPWR investment in McMinnville, Oregon.🙌🏼
 
These interactions allowed to showcase Belgium-Oregon relations and reflect on possible future collaborations. 🤝

📸 The Consuls General of the European Union in Los Angeles met with Mayor Karen Bass at the city Hall ! 🇪🇺

Representing the presidency of the Council of the European Union, our Belgian Consul General, led her EU colleagues, to meet with Los Angeles Mayor Karen Bass. It was an honour and a privilege to listen to Mayor Bass sharing progress on the most pressing challenges and priorities for the city.

The discussions also looked toward the future, with major international sport events on the horizon, culminating with the 2026 World Cup and the 2028 Olympic Games. These extraordinary occasions could serve as catalysts for positive change in the city.

The future promises collaboration and new opportunities.🌍✨

[JOB OPPORTUNITY] – We are looking for a Multiskilled Officer (Events & Communication) to join our team as of Sept. 1st, 2024.
For more details and to apply by the June 7th deadline, please follow the link https://unitedstates.diplomatie.belgium.be/en/embassy-and-consulates/vacancies-and-internships

🌍✨ May 15th, “Celebrating Europe Day in San Francisco!” 🇪🇺

We were honored by the presence of Josep Borrell, the High Representative of the EU for Foreign Affairs and Security Policy, and Jovita Neliupšiené, the EU Ambassador, alongside all EU Consuls General based in SF and several colleagues from LA.

The event was a vibrant celebration of our shared values and unity.🙌🏼

🏳️‍🌈On this International Day Against Homophobia, Biphobia and Transphobia ( ), we stand together in celebrating diversity and promoting acceptance and respect for the + community. Love knows no boundaries; we embrace all forms of love. ❤️🧡💛💚💙

As the EU states, “Homophobia, Biphobia, and Transphobia have no place in the European Union or anywhere in the world.” Read the full statement: https://www.consilium.europa.eu/en/press/press-releases/2024/05/16/international-day-against-homophobia-biphobia-and-transphobia-17-may-2024-statement-by-the-high-representative-on-behalf-of-the-eu/ #:~:text=2024%2014%3A00-,International%20Day%20Against%20Homophobia%2C%20Biphobia%20and%20Transphobia%3A%20statement%20by%20the,or%20anywhere%20in%20the%20world).

Join Belgian photographer Raf Willems at the 2024 Spring Beverly Hills Art Show in Beverly Gardens Park, on May 18 & 19, 2024, from 10am-6pm. He will be showing his drone photography in space #229, between N Canon Drive and the Lily Pond.

The Belgian Consulate in Los Angeles extends its heartfelt congratulations to ! ✨ Our team had the pleasure of attending her incredible show. From San Francisco and San Diego to L.A., it’s fantastic to witness such remarkable Belgian talent making waves on the West Coast. Thank you for an unforgettable performance! 🙌🏼✨