President Ellen Johnson Sirleaf has sent a message of congratulations to His Majesty Philippe, King of the Belgians, on the occasion of the National Day of Belgium.

Belgium National Day is celebrated on July 21 each year as a public holiday. The festival’s formal establishment dates to a law of May 27, 1890 and commemorates an event of July 21, 1831 in which Leopold of Saxe-Cobourg swore allegiance to the new Belgium constitution, thus becoming the nation’s first monarch, King Leopold I (the first King of the Belgiums). The king’s vow marked the start of the independent state of Belgium under a constitutional monarchy and parliament.

According to a Foreign Ministry release, President Sirleaf, on behalf of the Government and people of Liberia, and in her own name, conveyed heartfelt congratulations to His Majesty Philippe, King of the Belgians, and the Government and people of Belgium as they commemorate their National Day on July 21.

“On this blissful occasion,” the Liberian leader said, “I wish to reflect that our two nations have for many decades enjoyed cordial and long-lasting relations.” She recounted that in December 2000, Liberia and Belgium collaborated on the Kimberley Process in South Africa aimed at mitigating illicit trade in rough diamond. Then in January 2016, relations with both countries were considerably revitalized with the visit to Liberia by a Belgium trade delegation to explore possibilities of doing business through partnerships with local and state institutions in Liberia.

President Sirleaf indicated, with satisfaction, that bilateral relations between the two countries is growing in strength, and likes to further seize this opportunity to once again express heartfelt gratitude for Belgium’s immense assistance to Liberia’s recovery initiatives.

“We remain appreciative of your country’s support to international efforts geared toward combating Ebola and its decision to maintain Brussels Airlines flights to Liberia especially during the dreadful period of the Ebola outbreak,” the Liberian leader stressed.

She assured King Philippe that Liberia resolves to be committed to the shared objectives for the promotion of continued global peace and prosperity.