First Lady Melania Trump accompanied her husband on his visit to Brussels, Belgium for the 2018 North Atlantic Treaty Organization (NATO) Summit. Upon arrival, the President and the First Lady were welcomed by the United States Ambassador to Belgium, Ronald Gidwitz and his wife, Christina Gidwitz; the United States Ambassador to the European Union, Gordon Sondland; the United States Ambassador to NATO, Kay Bailey Hutchison and her son and daughter; and the Chief of Protocol for the Ministry of Foreign Affairs of Belgium, Ambassador Françoise Gustin.
On the First Lady’s second day in Belgium, she joined the President in a Tri-Mission Embassy meet and greet with Ambassador Gidwitz, Christina Gidwitz; Ambassador Sondland, and Ambassador Hutchison.
Later that afternoon, Mrs. Trump participated in the official spousal program hosted by Belgium at the Queen Elisabeth Music Chapel. The Music Chapel is a Belgian academic institution for young artists that has produced world-class musicians. Mrs. Trump was met by Amelie Derbaudrenghien, partner of Belgian Prime Minister Charles Michel; Ingrid Schulerud, wife of NATO Secretary-General Jens Stoltenberg; and Count Bernard de Launoit, Executive President of the Queen Elisabeth Music Chapel. The program included a welcome reception and fashion exhibit by designer Bernard Depoorter; a tour of the Music Chapel guided by Bernard de Launoit; and a two-part concert series in the Chapel’s concert hall with performances by current and former students of the Music Chapel.
Intermission during the concert series included pastries made by chef and chocolatier Herman van Dender, and an exhibit of women’s hats designed by Belgian milliner Fabienne Delvigne highlighting some of Belgium’s most famous attributes.
In the evening, the First Lady accompanied the President to the NATO welcoming ceremony where they were greeted by Prime Minister Charles Michel and Amelie Derbaudrenghien. Mrs. Trump then attended a gala dinner with other NATO and partner nation spouses hosted by Belgium at the Royal Museum at the Cinquantenaire Park in Brussels. The menu consisted of traditional Belgiam fare.
“We had a wonderful stay in Belgium,” said First Lady Melania Trump. “Thank you to our new Ambassador Gidwitz and Mrs. Gidwitz for hosting us, and to Belgium, for arranging Wednesday’s spousal program during the NATO Summit. I enjoyed the company of the many NATO spouses – it was an opportunity for us to come together in an exchange of ideas, and appreciate the unique cultural traits of Belgium.”
