Gavin Newsom, the Democratic governor of California and a vocal critic of former President Donald Trump, met with the Belgian economic mission currently touring the West Coast on Monday,
The governor expressed his appreciation for the large delegation, which consisted of over 500 individuals from business and academia.
"These are challenging times for this country. Thank you for bringing such a significant delegation that reminds us of the importance of interpersonal connections," Newsom said.
In his address, Newsom implicitly criticised Trump’s policies, emphasising that California is "the least Trumpian state" in the United States.
"Here, we do not tolerate diversity; we celebrate it," he declared. He credited California’s economic success to this inclusive spirit, highlighting that the state has "more scientists and more engineers than anywhere else."
The bilateral relationship between Belgium and California took a step forward with the signing of a ‘memorandum of understanding’ (MoU) on Monday evening.
The agreement was signed by Belgium’s three regional trade agencies—Flanders Investment & Trade (FIT), hub.brussels, and AWEX for Wallonia—and the Governor’s Office of Business and Economic Development (GO-Biz).
The MoU aims to create a flexible framework for collaboration in areas such as international trade, knowledge-sharing, and public-private partnerships.
"This collaboration with California marks a significant milestone in connecting our economies, entrepreneurs, and innovation ecosystems," said Isabelle Grippa, CEO of hub.brussels. "We hope this will soon lead to tangible actions, starting with hosting a California delegation in Brussels."
