"I'm grateful to His Majesty King Philippe for his visit and his interest in the work of the WTO," DG Azevêdo said. "We had a good exchange not only on how trade can serve as an engine for economic growth, but also on how to better ensure that the benefits of trade are enjoyed by all, both within and among nations. Belgium has long been, and remains, a great champion of multilateralism and the WTO."

DG Azevêdo also accompanied King Philippe on a short tour of the WTO building, the Centre William Rappard. They viewed some of the building's historic artworks, including a piece by the Belgian sculptor and painter Constantin Meunier which was donated by the International Labour Organization.

Belgium is an original founding member of both the WTO and the General Agreement on Tariffs and Trade (GATT), the WTO's predecessor.