The Benelux summit took place on Tuesday at the Mudam (Grand Duke Jean Museum of Modern Art). Luxembourg's prime minister Xavier Bettel invited his Belgian and Dutch counterparts Charles Michel and Mark Rutte.
At the summit, Bettel pointed to the Benelux union as an example of the tangible benefits citizens receive from the cooperation and political agreement between the three countries.
The three prime ministers met to discuss the priorities of Benelux cooperation for the foreseeable future. In 2019, Luxembourg is taking over the presidency of Benelux for the year. Bettel explained that the Grand Duchy hopes to emphasise the single market, digitalisation, and the fight against climate change.
The Benelux summit included a number of guests, including the Minister President of North Rhine-Westphalia, Armin Laschet. Laschet's presence was notable as the German state of North Rhine-Westphalia has been working together with the Benelux countries since 2008. At the summit, the parties renewed the collaboration with a political declaration.
The summit also included discussions on Brexit. Bettel stressed that the European elections in all 27 countries must not be put in doubt, which could happen if the United Kingdom remains a member of the EU past 26 May without fielding candidates.
