Berchem-Sainte-Agathe or Sint-Agatha-Berchem,often simply called Berchem,is one of the 19 municipalities of the Brussels-Capital Region,Belgium. Located in the north-western part of the region,it is bordered by Ganshoren,Koekelberg,and Molenbeek-Saint-Jean,as well as the Flemish municipalities of Asse and Dilbeek. In common with all of Brussels' municipalities,it is legally bilingual (French–Dutch).
Philippe is King of the Belgians. He is the eldest child of King Albert II and Queen Paola. He succeeded his father upon the former’s abdication for health reasons on 21 July 2013. He married Mathilde d'Udekem d'Acoz in 1999,with whom he has four children. Their eldest child,Princess Elisabeth,is first in the line of succession.
Jens Stoltenberg,is a Norwegian politician who served as the 13th secretary general of NATO from 2014 to 2024. A member of the Norwegian Labour Party,he was previously the 34th prime minister of Norway from 2000 to 2001 and again from 2005 until 2013.
The Bharat Ratna is the highest civilian award of the Republic of India. Instituted on 2 January 1954,the award is conferred in recognition of "exceptional service/performance of the highest order",without distinction of race,occupation,position or gender. The award was originally limited to achievements in the arts,literature,science,and public services,but the Government of India expanded the criteria to include "any field of human endeavor" in December 2011. The recommendations for the award are made by the Prime Minister to the President. The recipients receive a Sanad (certificate) signed by the President and a peepal leaf-shaped medallion. Bharat Ratna recipients rank seventh in the Indian order of precedence.
DéFI is a social-liberal and regionalist political party in Belgium mainly known for defending French-speakers' interests in and near the Brussels region. Founded in 1964,the party is led by François De Smet,a member of the Chamber of Representatives. The party's current name,DéFI or Défi,was adopted in 2016 and is a backronym of Démocrate,Fédéraliste,Indépendant meaning "challenge" in French.
Recep Tayyip Erdoğan is a Turkish politician who is the 12th and current president of Turkey since 2014. He previously served as the 25th prime minister from 2003 to 2014 as part of the Justice and Development Party (AKP),which he co-founded in 2001. He also served as mayor of Istanbul from 1994 to 1998.
The Socialist Party is a social democratic French-speaking political party in Belgium. As of the 2024 elections,it is the fourth largest party in the Belgian Chamber of Representatives and the second largest Francophone party. The party is led by Paul Magnette. The party supplies the Minister-president of the French Community,and the Brussels-Capital Region. In the German-speaking community,the party is known as the Sozialistische Partei (SP).
Donald Franciszek Tusk is a Polish politician and historian who has served as the prime minister of Poland since 2023,having previously held the office from 2007 to 2014. From 2014 to 2019 Tusk was President of the European Council,and from 2019 to 2022 he was the president of the European People's Party (EPP). He co-founded the Civic Platform (PO) party in 2001 and has twice been its leader,first from 2003 to 2014 and again since 2021.
Neelam Sanjiva Reddy was an Indian politician who served as the sixth president of India,serving from 1977 to 1982. Beginning a long political career with the Indian National Congress Party in the independence movement,he went on to hold several key offices in independent India –as Deputy Chief minister of Andhra state and the first chief minister of Andhra Pradesh,a two-time Speaker of the Lok Sabha and a Union Minister—before becoming the Indian president.
Charles Picqué is a Belgian politician. He is a former Minister-President of the Brussels Capital-Region.
Herman Achille,Count Van Rompuy is a Belgian politician who served as prime minister of Belgium from 2008 to 2009,and then as the first permanent president of the European Council from 2009 to 2014.
Kosovo unilaterally self proclaimed independence from Serbia in 2008,a move which Serbia strongly rejects. Serbia does not recognize Kosovo as an independent state and continues to claim it as the Autonomous Province of Kosovo and Metohija. However,differences and disputes remain,while North Kosovo is partially under Serbian rule. Initially there were no relations between the two;but in the following years there has been increased dialogue and cooperation between the two sides.
The government of the Brussels-Capital Region is the political administration of the Brussels Capital Region of Belgium. An election is held every five years. The government is headed by a Minister-President,four ministers and three state secretaries.
Vervoort is a Dutch toponymic surname. It is a contraction of the name Van der Voort,meaning "from the ford". Notable people with the surname include:
Regional elections were held in Belgium on 25 May 2014 to choose representatives for the Flemish Parliament,Walloon Parliament,Brussels Parliament and the Parliament of the German-speaking Community. These elections were held on the same day as the 2014 European elections as well as the 2014 Belgian federal election.
The European Union–Ukraine Association Agreement is a European Union Association Agreement between the European Union (EU),the European Atomic Energy Community (Euratom),Ukraine and the EU's 28 member states at the time. It establishes a political and economic association between the parties. The agreement entered into force on 1 September 2017;previously parts had been provisionally applied. The parties committed to co-operate and converge economic policy,legislation,as well as regulation across a broad range of areas,including equal rights for workers,steps towards visa-free movement of people,the exchange of information and staff in the area of justice,the modernisation of Ukraine's energy infrastructure and access to the European Investment Bank (EIB). The parties committed to regular summit meetings and meetings among ministers,other officials and experts. The agreement furthermore establishes a Deep and Comprehensive Free Trade Area between the parties.
Marieke Vervoort was a Belgian Paralympic athlete with reflex sympathetic dystrophy. She won several medals at the Paralympics,and she received worldwide attention in 2016 when she revealed that she was considering euthanasia.
Overseas Countries and Territories Association is an international organisation founded on 17 November 2000 during the conference of prime ministers of overseas countries and territories in Brussels,Belgium. It includes almost all special member state territories of European Union whose purpose is to improve economic development in overseas countries and territories and cooperation with the European Union. It currently has 13 members. On 25 June 2008,a Cooperation Treaty between the EU and OCTA was signed in Brussels.
Elke Van den Brandt is a Belgian green politician and a member of Groen. She has been the Minister of Mobility,Public Works,and Road Safety within the Brussels-Capital Region government since July 18,2019.
