Queen Mathilde will lead Belgium’s upcoming trade mission to Turkey, stepping into a role long held by Princess Astrid as the country seeks to strengthen economic and political

ties with Ankara.

The five-day mission, running from 10 to 14 May, will bring more than 400 representatives from business, government and academia to Istanbul and Ankara. Queen Mathilde is expected to participate in the opening part of the visit before returning to Belgium due to prior engagements.

The trip marks a significant transition in Belgium’s economic diplomacy. Princess Astrid, who has traditionally headed the country’s trade missions, recently stepped back from the role for health reasons. Crown Princess Elisabeth is widely expected to assume the responsibility in the future once she completes her studies.

Belgian officials are using the mission to deepen cooperation with Turkey in sectors seen as strategically important, including energy transition, healthcare, logistics, defence and digital technology. Meetings are scheduled with Turkish president Recep Tayyip Erdogan, alongside visits to companies and discussions with political leaders.

Turkey remains one of Belgium’s key commercial partners outside the European Union. Belgian exports to Turkey reached €6.5 billion last year, while imports from Turkey totalled €5.6 billion, underlining the scale of the economic relationship between the two countries.

Among the senior Belgian politicians joining the delegation are Foreign Affairs minister Maxime Prévot, Defence and Foreign Trade minister Theo Francken, Flemish minister-president Matthias Diependaele, Brussels minister-president Boris Dilliès and Walloon Economy minister Pierre-Yves Jeholet.

Despite the commercial opportunities, analysts warn that Turkey’s economic environment presents challenges for foreign investors. Koen De Leus, chief economist at BNP Paribas Fortis, said Turkey’s geographic position — linking Europe, the Middle East and Asia — continues to make it attractive for international business.

At the same time, persistent inflation, a weakened currency and concerns over governance have complicated the outlook. De Leus also pointed to demographic decline, ongoing brain drain and the country’s vulnerability to earthquakes as factors weighing on investor confidence.

The Turkey mission is one of several major economic visits planned by Belgium this year. Another large-scale trade mission to Saudi Arabia is scheduled for November and is also expected to be led by Queen Mathilde. Photo by Liesbeth Driessen, Wikimedia commons.