The Diplomat
The year 2021 marks the centenary of two milestones in bilateral relations between Spain and Belgium: the elevation to the rank of Embassy of both the Spanish diplomatic legation in Brussels, with the subsequent appointment of the Marquis of Villalobar as Spain’s first ambassador to Belgium (21 January 1921), and the Belgian diplomatic legation in Madrid (24 January 1921); and the visit of the King and Queen of Belgium to Spain from 1 to 4 February 1921.
During the year, various commemorative activities and events are planned, in collaboration with Belgian counterparts, to commemorate a century of friendship, solidarity and cooperation between Spain and Belgium, highlighting the strategic areas and the milestones, events and historical figures that have served as a bridge between the two nations, from the First World War to the present day.
The period between the years of the First World War (1914-1918) and the early post-war years is undoubtedly one of the most positive stages and one of the periods of greatest complicity and rapprochement in the history of bilateral relations between Spain and Belgium since the creation of the current Kingdom of Belgium in 1830.
Among the extraordinary circumstances that brought about the rapprochement between the governments and public opinions of both states, it is worth mentioning, on the one hand, the important role played by Spain, as a neutral state, in protecting the integrity, interests and institutions of the Belgian people during the German occupation throughout the First World War, which the Belgians remember as one of the darkest episodes in their history; and, on the other hand, the decisive role played by Rodrigo de Saavedra y Vinent, Marquis of Villalobar (Madrid, 1864 – Brussels, 1926), who, at the head of the Spanish diplomatic legation during that period, was able to personify, through his effort, dedication and courage, Spain’s solidarity and diplomatic and humanitarian commitment to Belgium. A complete historical documentation up to the present day can be consulted on the MAEC website.
