09/12/2026
What started as a holiday weekend quickly transformed into a working trip for our Consul General Katherine Raeymaekers in the following days!
The long labor day weekend allowed her to travel across Mississippi, Louisiana and Alabama, for meetings with partners, strengthening connections, and advancing shared economic and diplomatic priorities.
📍 First stop: Mississippi
In Jackson, she met with the team at the Mississippi Development Authority, including Executive Director William Cork, to discuss opportunities for collaboration and investment. She also had the opportunity to meet with Kimberly Jones Merchant, CEO of the Mississippi Center for Justice, to learn more about the organization's work and impact across the state.
📍 Next stop: Louisiana
Where she reconnected with partners from GNO, Inc. (Greater New Orleans, Inc.) and the World Trade Center New Orleans. The latter, together with the Port of Antwerp-Bruges, facilitated an interesting breakfast meeting with international stakeholders and partners from different Louisiana ports to discuss opportunities for international cooperation and trade. She further met with the leadership of the newly started Louisiana Future Energy Center for an engaging discussion. The final stop in Louisiana was among colleagues, catching up with the Consul General of France in Louisiana.
📍 Final stop: Alabama
The trip concluded in Mobile, Alabama, where she met with the Mobile Chamber, representatives from ArcelorMittal, and members of the Downtown Mobile Alliance. She also visited the Port of Mobile, gaining valuable insights into one of the region's key economic and logistics hubs.
From economic development and trade to innovation and community engagement, this mission trip highlighted the different ties and shared interests between Belgium and the Gulf South. Thank you to all that hosted our Consul General and our Belgian Honorary Consul for Alabama and Mississippi, Jonathan Hoffmann, as well as our Belgian and Honorary Consul for Louisiana, Roland Vandenweghe.
