During a visit to Utah on Friday, Jean-Arthur Régibeau, Belgian ambassador to the United States, said he originally came to visit Brigham Young University but was able to extend his trip by an extra day.

“I was invited by a Belgian citizen living here to visit Weber (State) University, but also to visit a distinguished people active in the aerospace industry and tonight I will also meet with city officials,” Régibeau said. “That’s a way for an ambassador based in Washington to get used to what’s living outside the Washington bubble, which is very important for us to be aware of.”

His day began with a chance to speak with students and faculty at WSU about Belgium and the realities of geopolitical security and the country’s economy.

“It was a beautiful opportunity for me to explain what Belgian policy is all about and to underline, also, the very high degree of convergence between the U.S. position and the Belgian position. Beyond Belgium, the whole of Europe, especially when it comes to the war in Ukraine, we’re really on the same line acting together, so there is a strong interaction between the two sides of the Atlantic,” he said.

He also visited the Noorda Engineering Building and WSU’s Davis campus before a roundtable discussion on aerospace and defense at the newly-unveiled MARS Building near Hill Air Force Base.

Régibeau said there has long been a connection between the Ogden area and Belgium, and he’s hoping that this partnership will only grow as the European nation upgrades its security capabilities. The Belgian government purchased F-35 aircrafts, a staple of Hill Air Force Base, several years ago.

“We’ll have the first example of this aircraft in December. We’ve been using the F-16 for over 40 years — that’s a fighter that’s also supported here at Hill Air Force Base. … That involved a very high level of cooperation in terms of industrial support for the plane,” Régibeau said. “It’s politically important, also, for us to demonstrate to our own taxpayers that will foot the bill that they will also benefit from the scientific and economic consequences of the decision to buy the aircraft.”

He said he sees a lot of potential for ties to be forged with the Ogden area beyond the defensive sector as well. Régibeau was joined on the trip by Stephano Smars, trade commissioner of the Walloon Region, who met with business leaders and discusses the possibility of international business partnerships.

Régibeau said the city left him with a positive impression, even before his evening meeting with city officials.

“It’s really impressive if I compare it to what I saw in Salt Lake City 30 years ago — many more people, a lot of economic activity and also high technology and a lot of education facilities. It’s really impressive beside the snow and the mountains, that I always enjoy,” he said.

He added that his time in Ogden — and Utah — has shown there are many similarities between Utahns and Belgians, highlighting the area’s focus on water management.

“I was impressed by what the lieutenant governor had to say about the very pragmatic way to try and solve the issues the state is facing. I would say that’s also a typically Belgian attitude — we have thrown ideas, for example, on the need to combat climate change, but we are also a very pragmatic people,” he said.