Consulate General of Belgium in Chennai
| Consulate General of Belgium for Southern India Consulate General of Belgium, Chennai பெல்ஜியத் துணைதூதரகம், சென்னை | |
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Coat of Arms of Belgium | |
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Incumbent Bart De Groof since 2013 | |
| Ministry of Foreign Affairs | |
| Style | Consul General |
| Inaugural holder | Bart De Groof |
| Formation | 28 November 2013 |
| Website | http://countries.diplomatie.belgium.be/en/india/embassy_and_consulates/consulate_generale_chennai/ |
The Consulate General of Belgium for Southern India is one of the three missions of Belgium in India focusing on Belgian interests in the region. It is located in Chennai and its jurisdiction includes the states of Tamil Nadu, Andhra Pradesh, Karnataka, Kerala and the union territory of Puducherry. The other two are the Embassy of Belgium at New Delhi and the Belgian Consulate General at Mumbai, in addition to an honorary office in Kolkata.[1] The current consul general of the Chennai Consulate is Bart De Groof, who is also the first consul general of the Chennai Consulate and the first head of mission since the establishment of the Mission in 2013.
History
The need to set up a Consulate General for Southern India in Chennai arose because, as of 2012, more than a third of Indian visitors to Belgium were from the four South Indian states.[2] There was an honorary consulate of Belgium functioning at Guindy and a trade office before the establishment of the Consulate General.[3] In April 2013, Belgium announced the plan to open the consulate in Chennai, when it opened its visa application centre,[2] and the trade office was then converted to a consulate.[3] The Consulate General of Belgium for Southern India in Chennai was established on 28 November 2013 by Princess Astrid of Belgium in the presence of the then ambassador of Belgium Pierre Vaesen.[4] The city’s port and its geo-strategic location on the east coast of the country were among the primary reasons behind the opening of the mission which Belgium considered could enhance its presence in Myanmar and Bangladesh.[5] The visa application centre was opened earlier on 15 April 2013 to cater to travellers from south India.[6]
Location
The Consulate General is located at 18 Khader Nawaz Khan Road in Nungambakkam. It is located at the premises of the former trade office of Canada.[4]
List of consul generals
- Bart De Groof (2013–Present)
Functions
About 10,000 visas are expected to be given from the consulate in Chennai, most of them business visas.[3]
See also
- Embassy of Belgium, New Delhi
- List of diplomatic missions in Chennai
- List of diplomatic missions of Belgium
- Foreign relations of Belgium
- India–Belgium relations
- Foreign relations of India
References
- ↑ "Addresses of Belgian Embassies and Consulates abroad". Ministry of Foreign Affairs, Kingdom of Belgium. Retrieved 7 Dec 2013.
- ↑ 2.0 2.1 "Chennai to get Belgian Consulate by next year". The New Indian Express (Chennai: Express Publications). 17 April 2013. Retrieved 23 Feb 2014.
- ↑ 3.0 3.1 3.2 "Belgian mission in Chennai will look to expand trade". The Times of India (Chennai: The Times Group). 29 November 2013. Retrieved 14 Jan 2014.
- ↑ 4.0 4.1 "For Biz, Belgium Gets Chennai Address". The New Indian Express (Chennai: Express Publications). 29 November 2013. Retrieved 7 Dec 2013.
- ↑ "Chennai gets Belgium Consular office". The Hindu (Chennai: The Hindu). 29 November 2013. Retrieved 7 Dec 2013.
- ↑ "Belgium opens Visa Application Centre in Chennai". The Economic Times (Chennai: The Times Group). 16 April 2013. Retrieved 7 Dec 2013.
External links
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