Premier Ministre

Articles

• Persbericht van eerste minister Yves Leterme: nieuwe Japanse bedrijven

  www 2 février, par Sarah.Delafortrie
  Intro: 

  Uit een vergelijkende studie is gebleken dat België als het meest geglobaliseerde land ter wereld, een zeer investeringsvriendelijk land is...

  Datum: 

  2 February, 2010

  In een toespraak dinsdagmiddag tot de Belgisch-Japanse Vereniging en Kamer van koophandel zei eerste minister Yves Leterme te hopen dat nieuwe Japanse bedrijven in ons land zullen investeren. Uit een vergelijkende studie is immers gebleken dat België als het meest ‘geglobaliseerde’ land ter wereld een zeer investeringsvriendelijk land is. De premier sprak ook zijn waardering uit voor de aanwezigheid van 220 Japanse bedrijven die in België meer dan 25.000 banen hebben geschapen en 2,2 miljard dollar investeerden in 2008, het laatste jaar waarvoor cijfers beschikbaar zijn.

  De Belgisch-Japanse Vereniging maakte dinsdagmorgen een studie bekend die het investeringklimaat van België en zijn buurlanden vergelijkt. België staat nummer 1 in de ‘globalisation index’, voor Ierland, Nederland, Zwitserland en Oostenrijk. Als sterkste punten noemt de studie een ‘hoog opgeleide, productieve en meertalige arbeidsbevolking’, een investeringsvriendelijk belastingstelsel, de centrale ligging van België in de EU, en de aanwezigheid van de Europese instellingen in Brussel.

  Japan is de tweede economie ter wereld. België bekleedt, in absolute cijfers, de twintigste plaats wereldwijd wat betreft Bruto Nationaal Product. Premier Leterme zei dat de twee landen die positie niet danken aan een overvloed van natuurlijke rijkdommen, maar aan ‘investeringen in het kostbaarste goed dat een land heeft, zijn mensen’. ‘In deze moeilijke tijden kan het niet genoeg gezegd worden dat voor bedrijven, grote en kleine, hun werknemers geen kost zijn maar een belangrijk goed, en dat investeren in hun levenslange opleiding, investeren in toekomstig succes is’, zei de premier.

  Hij kondigde nog aan dat hij begin april naar Japan gaat om er op 8 april samen met minister van Buitenlandse Zaken Steven Vanackere de nieuwe ambassade van België te openen. Bij die gelegenheid zullen zij ook een regionale diplomatieke conferentie samenroepen met de Belgische ambassadeurs in de regio.

  
  

• Communiqué du Premier ministre : De nouvelles entreprises japonaises

  www 2 février, par Christophe.Springael
  Intro: 

  Une étude comparative a révélé que la Belgique, considérée comme le pays le plus « mondialisé », était dotée d’un climat particulièrement propice aux investissements...

  Datum: 

  2 February, 2010

  Dans un discours prononcé mardi midi devant les membres de l’Association belgo-japonaise et Chambre de Commerce, le Premier ministre Yves Leterme a dit espérer que de nouvelles entreprises japonaises investiront dans notre pays. Une étude comparative a en effet révélé que la Belgique, considérée comme le pays le plus « mondialisé », était dotée d’un climat particulièrement propice aux investissements. Le Premier ministre a également salué la présence de 220 entreprises japonaises qui ont créé plus de 25.000 emplois en Belgique et ont investi 2,2 milliards de dollars en 2008, dernière année pour laquelle nous disposons de chiffres.

  Mardi matin, l’Association belgo-japonaise a publié une étude comparant le climat d’investissement de la Belgique avec celui de nos pays voisins. La Belgique occupe la première place du classement s’agissant du « globalisation index », et devance ainsi l’Irlande, les Pays-Bas, la Suisse et l’Autriche. Parmi les plus grands atouts, l’étude épingle une « population active hautement qualifiée, productive et polyglotte », un régime fiscal favorable aux investissements, la position centrale de la Belgique au cœur de l’UE et la présence des institutions européennes à Bruxelles.

  Le Japon représente la deuxième économie de la planète. La Belgique occupe, en chiffres absolus, la vingtième place du classement mondial pour ce qui est du Produit National Brut. Le Premier ministre Leterme a précisé que ces deux pays ne devaient pas leur position à une profusion de richesses naturelles mais bien à des « investissements dans le bien le plus précieux que compte un pays, à savoir sa population ».  « En ces temps difficiles, l’on ne dira jamais assez que pour les entreprises, quelle que soit leur taille, leurs travailleurs ne constituent pas un poste de coût mais un bien important et qu’en investissant dans la formation tout au long de la vie, l’on investit dans la réussite future », c’est en ces termes que s’est exprimé le Premier ministre.

  Il a en outre annoncé qu’il se rendrait début avril au Japon pour y inaugurer, le 8 avril, la nouvelle ambassade de Belgique, en compagnie du ministre des Affaires étrangères, Steven Vanackere. A cette occasion, ils convoqueront également une conférence diplomatique régionale avec les ambassadeurs de la Belgique présents dans la région.

   

  Pour plus d’informations :                                                                                           
  Jérôme Hardy – Porte-parole du Premier Ministre - F
  T. : 02 501 02 36 - Mobile : 0497 54 02 51
  E-mail : jerome.hardy@premier.fed.be
  
  Dominique Dehaene - Porte-parole du Premier ministre - N
  T. : 02 501 02 06 – Mobile : 0495 24 43 64
  E-mail : Dominique.dehaene@premier.fed.be
  16, rue de la Loi
  B-1000 Bruxelles

   

  
  

• Prime minister's speech at Belgium-Japan Association meeting

  www 3 février, par Sarah.Delafortrie
  Plaats: 

  Hotel Metropole, Brussel

  Datum: 

  2 February, 2010

  Excellency,

  Mr.  President,

  Ladies and Gentlemen,

  If the possession of rich natural resources was a condition for national wealth, Japan and Belgium would be poor countries, and large parts of Africa would be extremely wealthy. But clearly, things do not work that way.  It is well known that Japan is the second economy in the world. Belgium, for its part, ranks fourteenth in the world in terms of Gross National Product per capita, twentieth in GNP in absolute figures, and twelfth in value of its exports.

  We owe the relative positions of our densely populated countries to investment in the most precious asset any country has, its people. We owe it to investment in education, in learning, in innovation.

  Especially in these difficult times, it cannot be emphasised enough that for companies small and large, the members of their work force are to be considered as an asset rather than as a cost. And that investment in their employee’s life long learning is investment in future success.

  Ladies and Gentlemen,

  I was glad to see that Belgium ranks as the most globalised country worldwide in the study you presented this morning, a study which compares the business climate of Belgium and its neighbours. Among our principal assets are, and I quote, ‘the availability of a highly educated and productive work force’ and of a ‘multilingual work force’. The study also mentions our favourable taxation policy towards foreign companies, our central location in the European Union, a market of half a billion people, and the presence in our capital of the European institutions. Our relatively cheap rental prices come as an added bonus.

  But apparently we are too modest about those achievements, because the study also shows that they are not well enough known internationally.

  I am very glad that Japanese companies have discovered those assets many years ago. We very much value the presence of 220 Japanese companies in Belgium, the more than 25.000 jobs they created, the investment of 2,2 billion dollar in 2008.  We hope that they will continue to appreciate the business environment we offer, and that new companies will avail themselves of those opportunities.

  On our side, we are working hard to simplify procedures for Japanese citizens wishing to work or to study in Belgium, and to reduce red tape.

  After consultation with the Embassy of Japan and the Ministry for Foreign Affairs, the Office for Foreigners has just published a brochure on measures taken to facilitate and to expedite the delivery of working permits, medical certificates, and certificates of morality;  and to simplify the arrangements for driving licences.

  Ladies and Gentlemen,

  Japan is so much more than one of the most important economic partners of Belgium. It is a country with which we have extremely good relations which we value very much. The close links between the Imperial House of Japan and the Royal House of Belgium contribute to this warm relationship.

  I myself have a deep interest and fondness for Japan since I first visited the country twenty years ago. I look forward to my visit in the beginning of April, when I will attend the festive opening of our new Embassy.  I will use the occasion to convene a Diplomatic Conference in Tokyo which will bring together the Belgian Ambassadors in Asia, and also the economic representatives of our Regions.

  Ladies and Gentlemen,

  Our countries differ in size but we can learn much from each other and cooperate fruitfully in many areas. We both face the challenge to remain at the top of technological innovation, as many other countries are rapidly catching up with our industrial and technological achievements. We both face the problems of maintaining our living standards and our highly developed social security systems in a competitive international environment and while our own population is getting older.

  Japan has made great strides in environment friendly, energy saving production processes. Combining economic development with ecological responsibility is also a priority, not only of Belgium but of the European Union as a whole.

  Now that the adoption of the Lisbon Treaty has given the Union a stronger footing, I am confident that the European Union and Japan will find ways to act in close consultation on a wide variety of issues which confront us both, ranging from addressing climate change to sustainable development and energy generation. My government certainly will do everything in its power to contribute to the best possible EU-Japan relations.

  Ladies and Gentlemen,

  Those who know me, know how attached I am to my hometown, Ieper. It is not one of the nine Belgian cities which are twinned with a Japanese city. But it has links with two cities whose names became tragically known in 1945, Hiroshima and Nagasaki. Ieper suffered terribly in the first World War, when it was almost wiped from the face of the earth and when its name was given to the terrible poison gas. The mayors of those three cities are very active in the world wide Mayors for Peace Movement. It makes for another strand in the rich fabric of the relations between our countries.

  To conclude, Ladies and Gentlemen, I wish all of you, even if the month of January has passed and I am two days late, a very successful and prosperous year, with still closer links between our two countries.

  
  

• Toespraak van de eerste minister voor de Belgium-Japan Association

  www 3 février, par Sarah.Delafortrie
  Intro: 

  'We owe the relative positions of our densely populated countries to investment in the most precious asset any country has, its people. We owe it to investment in education, in learning, in innovation...'

  Plaats: 

  Hotel Metropole, Brussel

  Datum: 

  2 February, 2010

  Excellency,

  Mr.  President,

  Ladies and Gentlemen,

  If the possession of rich natural resources was a condition for national wealth, Japan and Belgium would be poor countries, and large parts of Africa would be extremely wealthy. But clearly, things do not work that way.  It is well known that Japan is the second economy in the world. Belgium, for its part, ranks fourteenth in the world in terms of Gross National Product per capita, twentieth in GNP in absolute figures, and twelfth in value of its exports.

  We owe the relative positions of our densely populated countries to investment in the most precious asset any country has, its people. We owe it to investment in education, in learning, in innovation.

  Especially in these difficult times, it cannot be emphasised enough that for companies small and large, the members of their work force are to be considered as an asset rather than as a cost. And that investment in their employee’s life long learning is investment in future success.

  Ladies and Gentlemen,

  I was glad to see that Belgium ranks as the most globalised country worldwide in the study you presented this morning, a study which compares the business climate of Belgium and its neighbours. Among our principal assets are, and I quote, ‘the availability of a highly educated and productive work force’ and of a ‘multilingual work force’. The study also mentions our favourable taxation policy towards foreign companies, our central location in the European Union, a market of half a billion people, and the presence in our capital of the European institutions. Our relatively cheap rental prices come as an added bonus.

  But apparently we are too modest about those achievements, because the study also shows that they are not well enough known internationally.

  I am very glad that Japanese companies have discovered those assets many years ago. We very much value the presence of 220 Japanese companies in Belgium, the more than 25.000 jobs they created, the investment of 2,2 billion dollar in 2008.  We hope that they will continue to appreciate the business environment we offer, and that new companies will avail themselves of those opportunities.

  On our side, we are working hard to simplify procedures for Japanese citizens wishing to work or to study in Belgium, and to reduce red tape.

  After consultation with the Embassy of Japan and the Ministry for Foreign Affairs, the Office for Foreigners has just published a brochure on measures taken to facilitate and to expedite the delivery of working permits, medical certificates, and certificates of morality;  and to simplify the arrangements for driving licences.

  Ladies and Gentlemen,

  Japan is so much more than one of the most important economic partners of Belgium. It is a country with which we have extremely good relations which we value very much. The close links between the Imperial House of Japan and the Royal House of Belgium contribute to this warm relationship.

  I myself have a deep interest and fondness for Japan since I first visited the country twenty years ago. I look forward to my visit in the beginning of April, when I will attend the festive opening of our new Embassy.  I will use the occasion to convene a Diplomatic Conference in Tokyo which will bring together the Belgian Ambassadors in Asia, and also the economic representatives of our Regions.

  Ladies and Gentlemen,

  Our countries differ in size but we can learn much from each other and cooperate fruitfully in many areas. We both face the challenge to remain at the top of technological innovation, as many other countries are rapidly catching up with our industrial and technological achievements. We both face the problems of maintaining our living standards and our highly developed social security systems in a competitive international environment and while our own population is getting older.

  Japan has made great strides in environment friendly, energy saving production processes. Combining economic development with ecological responsibility is also a priority, not only of Belgium but of the European Union as a whole.

  Now that the adoption of the Lisbon Treaty has given the Union a stronger footing, I am confident that the European Union and Japan will find ways to act in close consultation on a wide variety of issues which confront us both, ranging from addressing climate change to sustainable development and energy generation. My government certainly will do everything in its power to contribute to the best possible EU-Japan relations.

  Ladies and Gentlemen,

  Those who know me, know how attached I am to my hometown, Ieper. It is not one of the nine Belgian cities which are twinned with a Japanese city. But it has links with two cities whose names became tragically known in 1945, Hiroshima and Nagasaki. Ieper suffered terribly in the first World War, when it was almost wiped from the face of the earth and when its name was given to the terrible poison gas. The mayors of those three cities are very active in the world wide Mayors for Peace Movement. It makes for another strand in the rich fabric of the relations between our countries.

  To conclude, Ladies and Gentlemen, I wish all of you, even if the month of January has passed and I am two days late, a very successful and prosperous year, with still closer links between our two countries.

  
  

• Persuitnodiging: overleg tussen de federale en de Vlaamse regering

  www 3 février, par Sarah.Delafortrie
  Start: 03/02/2010 12:00

  Start: 03/02/2010 12:00

  Op woensdag 3 februari 2010 vindt op de Lambermont een overlegvergadering plaats tussen een delegatie van de federale regering onder leiding van eerste minister Yves Leterme en een delegatie van de Vlaamse regering onder leiding van minister-president Kris Peeters.

  Op de agenda staan volgende punten:

  1. De positie die ons land zal innemen op de komende Raden van de Europese Unie gewijd aan het sociaal-economische beleid van de Unie voor de periode 2010-2020.

  2. De stand van zaken en de samenwerking inzake het anti-crisisbeleid en de sociaal-economische acties die door de Federale regering en de gewestregeringen worden ondernomen

  3. De voorbereiding van het Belgisch voorzitterschap van de Europese Unie en de inbreng van de Gemeenschappen en Gewesten daarin.

  Wij nodigen u graag uit voor een korte persconferentie na de vergadering rond 13.45 uur op de Lambermont.

  
  

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