BELGIUM, which closed its mission in Jamaica in the 1990s, has reopened its embassy here.

The Government of Belgium had cited budgetary reasons when it closed the mission.

The embassy has since the beginning of this month been operating from the Hilton Kingston Hotel, and will continue operating at that location until new offices are identified.

Belgian Ambassador Herman Portocare last week presented his letters of credence to the governor-general.

Foreign Minister K D Knight, in welcoming the reopening of the embassy, said that it was “a sign of the excellent relations between our countries” that the embassy had been reopened. Jamaica and Belgium established diplomatic relations in July 1967.

A foreign ministry statement said Jamaica has received technical assistance from Belgium in a variety of areas both at the bilateral level and indirectly within the context of ACP/EU relations. The transport sector has been one of the principal recipients with financial assistance for the supply of buses for Kingston and two depots at Lyndhurst Road and Spanish Town, said the ministry statement.