The Kingdom of Belgium recognised Russia as a legal successor to the Soviet Union on December 27, 1991. Diplomatic relations between Belgium and the USSR were maintained since June 12, 1935. The two countries signed a statement on their "readiness to provide a solid legal foundation for their new relations of concord and partnership and sign a bilateral treaty" during Russian Foreign Minister Andrei Kozyrev's working visit to Brussels from March 8-11, 1992. Belgian deputy Prime Minister and Minister of Foreign Affairs Willi Claes paid a working visit to Russia from September 30 to October 1, 1992. Belgian Minister of National Defence Leo Delcroix paid an official visit to Russia from June 1-4, 1993 for talks with Russian Defence Minister Pavel Grachev. The ministers agreed to provide training for each other's officers in the military schools of the two countries. Russian President Boris Yeltsin paid an official visit to Belgium from December 8-10, 1993. He held meetings and talks with King Albert II, Prime Minister Jean-Luc Dehaene and signed a treaty of concord and cooperation between Russia and Belgium, the first-ever treaty on this scale to be signed by the two countries. The treaty was ratified by Russia on December 16, 1997. Belgian Minister of National Defence Leo Delcroix visited Russia on January 25 and 26, 1994, the first NATO Minister allow to visit a strategic missile unit in Bologoye which had been closed to foreign visits until then. Russian Defence Minister Pavel Grachev paid an official visit to Belgium on May 26 and 27, 1994, for talks with his Belgian counterpart on a wide range of questions relating to the development of contacts along the military line between Russia and Belgium. Russian Minister of Foreign Affairs Yevgeny Primakov visited Belgium on December 11-12, 1996, for talks with Prime Minister Jean-Luc Dehaene, Foreign Minister Erik Deryjcke and Defence Minister Jean-Paul Poncelet. Russia and Belgium express satisfaction with the le ... Read more