Embassy of Belgium in Bern

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Embassy of Belgium in Bern

The official page of the Embassy of the Kingdom of Belgium to Switzerland and Liechtenstein. All communication on this page is in English.

Belgen in dienst van Belgen in Zwitserland
Des Belges au service de Belges en Suisse

12/06/2026

𝗘𝘂𝗿𝗲𝗸𝗮 𝗻𝗲𝘁𝘄𝗼𝗿𝗸 𝗰𝗵𝗮𝗶𝗿 𝗵𝗮𝗻𝗱𝗼𝘃𝗲𝗿 𝗳𝗿𝗼𝗺 𝗦𝘄𝗶𝘁𝘇𝗲𝗿𝗹𝗮𝗻𝗱 𝘁𝗼 𝗕𝗲𝗹𝗴𝗶𝘂𝗺

Eureka, founded in 1985 by 18 countries including Belgium, is the world’s largest intergovernmental network for research and innovation. Today, it brings together 47 countries working together to support businesses with access to funding, business development resources and expert guidance.

Belgium is strongly committed to cooperation in this field. Ambassador Patrick Van Gheel was therefore honored to be present at the official take over the chair of the Eureka network.

Thank you to previous chair Switzerland and Marc Pauchard from Innosuisse for its leadership over the past year and best of luck to the new president Aziz Naji from BELSPO.

10/06/2026

Great to welcome the newly established 𝗦𝘄𝗶𝘀𝘀-𝗕𝗲𝗹𝗴𝗶𝗮𝗻 𝗣𝗮𝗿𝗹𝗶𝗮𝗺𝗲𝗻𝘁𝗮𝗿𝘆 𝗙𝗿𝗶𝗲𝗻𝗱𝘀𝗵𝗶𝗽 𝗚𝗿𝗼𝘂𝗽 𝗶𝗻 𝘁𝗵𝗲 𝗦𝘄𝗶𝘀𝘀 𝗣𝗮𝗿𝗹𝗶𝗮𝗺𝗲𝗻𝘁, in the presence of An Capoen, Chair of the 𝗕𝗲𝗹𝗴𝗶𝗮𝗻-𝗦𝘄𝗶𝘀𝘀 𝗣𝗮𝗿𝗹𝗶𝗮𝗺𝗲𝗻𝘁𝗮𝗿𝘆 𝗙𝗿𝗶𝗲𝗻𝗱𝘀𝗵𝗶𝗽 𝗚𝗿𝗼𝘂𝗽 𝗶𝗻 𝘁𝗵𝗲 𝗕𝗲𝗹𝗴𝗶𝗮𝗻 𝗣𝗮𝗿𝗹𝗶𝗮𝗺𝗲𝗻𝘁.

Lots to discuss including energy, transport, multilingualism and federalism.

Thanks Laurent Wehrli for creating and chairing the new group. Looking forward to further strengthening our cooperation and learning from each other!

𝗕𝗲𝗹𝗴𝗶𝗮𝗻 𝗺𝗲𝗺𝗯𝗲𝗿𝘀
Khalil AOUASTI
Vincent Blondel
Inge Brocken
An Capoen
Stephanie D'Hose
Anthony Dufrane
Anne-Charlotte D'Ursel
Andries Gryffroy
Marie-Claire MVUMBI
Liesa Scholzen
Stéphanie Thoron
Gaëtan Van Goidsenhoven
Stefaan Van Hecke
Karl Vanlouwe
Kristien Verbelen
Kris Verduyckt
Lode Vereeck

𝗦𝘄𝗶𝘀𝘀 𝗺𝗲𝗺𝗯𝗲𝗿𝘀
Christine Badertscher
Rudi Berli
Christine Bulliard-Marbach
Fehlmann-Rielle Laurence
Corina Gredig
Franz Grüter
Vincent Maitre
Léonore Porchet
Hans-Peter Portmann
Jon Pult
Estelle Revaz
Elisabeth Schneider-Schneiter
Céline Weber Koppenburg
Laurent Wehrli

05/06/2026

𝗩𝗶𝘀𝗶𝘁 𝗼𝗳 𝘁𝗵𝗲 𝗙𝗹𝗲𝗺𝗶𝘀𝗵 𝗣𝗮𝗿𝗹𝗶𝗮𝗺𝗲𝗻𝘁 𝘁𝗼 𝗦𝘄𝗶𝘁𝘇𝗲𝗿𝗹𝗮𝗻𝗱

A Vlaams Parlement delegation came on a study trip to Bern, Fribourg and Biel/Bienne to exchange on three main topics: multilingualism, animal welfare and federalism.

Many thanks to our Swiss partners for their welcome and for sharing their experience with our delegation:

🗣️ 𝗠𝘂𝗹𝘁𝗶𝗹𝗶𝗻𝗴𝘂𝗮𝗹𝗶𝘀𝗺
FORUM du bilinguisme | FORUM für die Zweisprachigkeit
Université de Fribourg - Universität Freiburg 📸
Etat de Fribourg - Staat Freiburg
Bundesamt für Kultur BAK 📸
Pro Helvetia
Federal Delegate for Multilingualism (Nicoletta Mariolini) 📸
Stadt Biel / Ville de Bienne
Berner Kantonalbank AG
Bieler Tagblatt

🐾 𝗔𝗻𝗶𝗺𝗮𝗹 𝘄𝗲𝗹𝗳𝗮𝗿𝗲
Federal Food Safety and Veterinary Office FSVO
Schweizer Tierschutz STS

🏛️ 𝗙𝗲𝗱𝗲𝗿𝗮𝗹𝗶𝘀𝗺
The Federal Assembly — The Swiss Parliament
KdK CdC
Kanton Bern

02/06/2026

𝗠𝗼𝘃𝗲𝗦 𝘀𝗲𝗺𝗶𝗻𝗮𝗿 𝗼𝗻 𝗘𝗨–𝗦𝘄𝗶𝘁𝘇𝗲𝗿𝗹𝗮𝗻𝗱 𝗰𝗼𝗼𝗽𝗲𝗿𝗮𝘁𝗶𝗼𝗻 𝗼𝗻 𝘁𝗵𝗲 𝗳𝗿𝗲𝗲 𝗺𝗼𝘃𝗲𝗺𝗲𝗻𝘁 𝗼𝗳 𝘄𝗼𝗿𝗸𝗲𝗿𝘀 𝗮𝗻𝗱 𝘀𝗼𝗰𝗶𝗮𝗹 𝘀𝗲𝗰𝘂𝗿𝗶𝘁𝘆 𝗰𝗼𝗼𝗿𝗱𝗶𝗻𝗮𝘁𝗶𝗼𝗻 @ University of Lausanne - UNIL & @ Fondation Jean Monnet pour l'Europe

With over 350,000 cross-border workers commuting daily between the EU and Switzerland, cooperation in this field can be very technical but is essential to the smooth functioning of both economies. Frameworks that ensure the coordination of social security systems and the free movement of workers remain pillars of this relationship.

The seminar brought together a wide range of experts, academics and practitioners. Among them, a Belgian contribution:
🇧🇪 Els Vertongen (European Commission, DG Employment, Social Affairs and Inclusion)
🇧🇪 Prof. Rob Cornelissen (Vrije Universiteit Brussel, Department of Public Law)

The 𝗠𝗼𝘃𝗲𝗦 𝗻𝗲𝘁𝘄𝗼𝗿𝗸 is a European Commission-funded network of legal experts on the free movement of workers and social security coordination, connecting practitioners and strengthening knowledge across Europe, including Switzerland.

02/06/2026

𝗣𝗿𝗲𝘀𝘀𝘁𝗶𝘃𝗮𝗹 𝟮𝟬𝟮𝟲: Avec la Belgique comme pays invité, qui aurait cru que ce week-end serait aussi chaud ? 🌡️☀️

La liberté de la presse est une valeur essentielle pour la Belgique, qui s’est illustrée de plusieurs manières :

🎤 Discours d’ouverture de l’Ambassadeur Patrick Van Gheel
🎭 Un match d’improvisation Suisse/Belgique que la Suisse a emportée d'un point mais bon... elle jouait à domicile. Bientôt la revanche ?
🎬 La diffusion de « Strip-Tease intégral » un film sur l’émission belge culte mêlant documentaire et journalisme immersif, où la caméra suit sans interruption la vie de personnes ordinaires
🗞️ Une table ronde sur la « BD du réel » un genre qui mêle journalisme et narration graphique, avec la cofondatrice de Médor magazine reconnu pour son journalisme d’investigation

Un grand merci à Presstival pour l’invitation, ainsi qu’à Wallonie-Bruxelles à Genève pour son soutien en tant que co-sponsor du festival !

📸 Jean-Guy Python | Indra Crittin | Lionel Nemeth

01/06/2026

𝗦𝗰𝗶𝗲𝗻𝗰𝗲 𝗗𝗮𝘆 – 𝗗𝗮𝘆 𝟮 ⛰️

What better way to make the most of Belgian universities being in Switzerland than by taking science… to new heights?

At over 3,000 metres above sea level, the 𝗛𝗶𝗴𝗵 𝗔𝗹𝘁𝗶𝘁𝘂𝗱𝗲 𝗥𝗲𝘀𝗲𝗮𝗿𝗰𝗵 𝗦𝘁𝗮𝘁𝗶𝗼𝗻𝘀 𝗝𝘂𝗻𝗴𝗳𝗿𝗮𝘂𝗷𝗼𝗰𝗵 𝗮𝗻𝗱 𝗚𝗼𝗿𝗻𝗲𝗿𝗴𝗿𝗮𝘁 (HFSJG) literally put research above the clouds, which is ideal for studying climate change, atmospheric chemistry, air quality and astrophysics.

Belgium is proud to be part of the project: the University of Liège has been contributing to research at Jungfraujoch since 1950. That’s more than 70 years of Belgian scientists happily working where there’s less oxygen but plenty of inspiration!

A big thank you to HFSJG and Eliza Harris for the warm welcome.

01/06/2026

𝗕𝗲𝗻𝗲𝗹𝘂𝘅 𝗰𝗮𝗻𝘁𝗼𝗻𝗮𝗹 𝘃𝗶𝘀𝗶𝘁 𝘁𝗼 𝗞𝗮𝗻𝘁𝗼𝗻 𝗡𝗶𝗱𝘄𝗮𝗹𝗱𝗲𝗻

Ambassador Patrick Van Gheel, together with the Ambassadors from the Netherlands and Luxembourg, met with Landammann Othmar Filliger and Finance Director Michèle Blöchliger at the cantonal government building in Stans. They discussed shared priorities including international cooperation and economic matters.

Thank you to the Canton of Nidwalden for the warm welcome.

28/05/2026

🔬 𝗦𝗖𝗜𝗘𝗡𝗖𝗘 𝗗𝗔𝗬 - Fostering Academic Collaboration Between Belgium and Switzerland - Belgian Residence in Bern - 26 May 2026

19/05/2026

📰𝗣𝗿𝗲𝘀𝘀𝘁𝗶𝘃𝗮𝗹 𝟮𝟬𝟮𝟲: 𝗣𝗿𝗼𝗺𝗼𝘁𝗶𝗻𝗴 𝗶𝗻𝗱𝗲𝗽𝗲𝗻𝗱𝗲𝗻𝘁 𝗮𝗻𝗱 𝗳𝗿𝗲𝗲 𝗷𝗼𝘂𝗿𝗻𝗮𝗹𝗶𝘀𝗺

This weekend, the second edition of Presstival takes place in Biel with Belgium as guest country. This festival is dedicated to journalism, media and freedom of speech.

Avec près de 200 intervenants et 70 événements, il y en a pour tous les goûts : conférences, débats et de nombreuses occasions de se rencontrer et d’échanger. Plusieurs activités auront une touche belge, notamment un match d’improvisation entre la ligue professionnelle belge et une équipe suisse.

Curious about journalism and the importance of free expression? Découvrez le programme ici 👉 http://presstival.ch/programme

12/05/2026

𝗢𝗻𝗹𝘆 𝘁𝗵𝗿𝗲𝗲 𝗺𝗼𝗿𝗲 𝗱𝗮𝘆𝘀 𝘁𝗼 𝗮𝗽𝗽𝗹𝘆!

We are looking for a multilingual, detail-oriented and service-minded colleague to assist Belgian citizens in Switzerland and Liechtenstein with obtaining i.a. new ID cards, passports, official documents, and support them in case of emergencies. Apply before 15 May through the Embassy's website!

Klik hier om in het Nederlands te solliciteren: https://switzerland.diplomatie.belgium.be/nl/ambassade-en-consulaten/ambassade-bern/werken-voor-onze-ambassade-bern
Cliquez ici pour postuler en Français : https://switzerland.diplomatie.belgium.be/fr/ambassade-et-consulats/ambassade-berne/travailler-pour-notre-ambassade-berne

Adresse

Weltpoststrasse 4
Bern
3015

Telefon

+41313500150

Webseite

http://switzerland.diplomatie.belgium.be/

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