Belgium: four new economic diplomacy counselors and Georges Ugeux renewed

King Philippe signed a royal decree on October 22, 2026, appointing four new economic diplomacy advisors in Sofia, Bern, and Mumbai, and reappointing Georges Ugeux in New York. The text was published in the Belgian Official Gazette (Moniteur belge) on November 3, 2026, page 58811, under reference C − 2026/007983, and countersigned by the Deputy Prime Minister and Minister of Foreign Affairs, Mr. Prevot.

The decree is based on Article 107, paragraph 2, of the Constitution and the royal decree of January 24, 2013, regarding the status of Economic Diplomacy Advisors, of which Article 1 establishes the procedure. The King declares that he adopts the reasons provided in the reasoned opinions issued by the heads of Belgium’s posts in Sofia, Bern, and Mumbai, as well as by the competent services of the FPS Foreign Affairs, Foreign Trade and Development Cooperation, which certify that the appointment conditions have been met.

Four appointments in Sofia, Bern, and Mumbai

Article 1 of the decree appoints the following persons:

• Yavor Velchev, consultant in Sofia, of Belgian-Bulgarian nationality, based in Burgas (Bulgaria).
• Herman Buys, Director of the Grand Hotel Surselva Flims, in Bern, Belgian, based in Graubünden (Switzerland).
• Kedar Rele, Executive Director of Umicore India, in Mumbai, Indian, based in Pune (India).
• Sharmila Amin, Managing Director of Bertling Logistics, in Mumbai, Indian, based in Mumbai (India).

The Mumbai district thus receives two advisors, one from the materials industry (Umicore India) and the other from logistics (Bertling Logistics), while Sofia and Bern receive one each.

New York: Georges Ugeux reappointed

Article 2 reappoints Georges Ugeux, CEO of Galileo Global Advisors LLC in New York, of Belgian nationality and residing in New York (United States). His reappointment is handled separately from the new appointments, which gives him a distinct mandate start date.

Four years and a continuity clause

Article 4 sets the term of office for all Economic Diplomacy Advisors at four years from the date the decree enters into force. For the reappointed persons referred to in Article 2, the mandate begins upon the publication of the text in the Belgian Official Gazette, namely November 3, 2026.

Article 3 regulates the effects of redistricting: if the district in which an advisor is appointed is modified, they automatically continue to perform their duties under the supervision and authority of the head of the diplomatic mission or consular post that takes over the initial district. Article 5 brings the decree into force on the day of its publication, and Article 6 entrusts its execution to the Minister of Foreign Affairs.

Scope

With this text, the Belgian economic diplomacy network is strengthened in Bulgaria, Switzerland, and especially in India, where two business leaders active in Mumbai are now mandated, while the New York financial center retains its representative for four additional years. These appointments, based on reasoned opinions from heads of post and the FPS Foreign Affairs, give these operators a formal role in supporting Belgian economic interests abroad until 2030.

Official source: Belgian Official Gazette of November 3, 2026, p. 58811-58812, royal decree of October 22, 2026, appointing economic diplomacy advisors, C − 2026/007983.