At NATO Headquarters, the Federal President will lay a wreath with NATO Secretary General Mark Rutte and have bilateral talks with him. The Federal President will give the keynote speech at the subsequent ceremony. The Federal President will be accompanied by acting Federal Minister of Defence Boris Pistorius.

After the event at NATO Headquarters, talks at Laeken Palace with Philippe, King of the Belgians, are scheduled.

NATO, which was founded in 1949, now has 32 member states in Europe and North America and is regarded as the world’s most important and successful security alliance.

Overview of the programme

• Lunchtime, Brussels, NATO Headquarters
  Laying of a wreath with NATO Secretary General Mark Rutte as well as talks with the NATO Secretary General
• 2.45 p.m.
  Ceremony to mark the accession of the Federal Republic of Germany to NATO 70 years ago with a speech by the Federal President
• thereafter, Laeken Palace
  Talks with Philippe, King of the Belgians