MOSCOW, July 21 (RIA Novosti) – Russian President Vladimir Putin congratulated Belgian Prince Philippe preparing to take the oath as the nation's new ruler, the Kremlin press office reported on Sunday.
“Vladimir Putin congratulated Belgium’s Crown Prince Philippe with his accession to the throne and expressed the confidence that constructive Russian-Belgian cooperation that has traditionally existed between the two countries will continue developing successfully in all major areas to the benefit of the peoples of Russia, Belgium and the whole of Europe,” Putin said in his congratulatory letter.
Belgium's King Albert formally abdicated on Sunday in favour of his son Philippe after a 20-year reign. The 79-year-old monarch signed away his rights to hand over the throne to his 53-year-old son on Belgium’s National Day.
Philippe, who studied at Oxford and Stanford and was trained as an air force pilot, will take the oath later in the day before the nation's legislators at the parliament building to become the country's seventh king.
Belgium has a constitutional monarchy and the king largely plays the role of the ceremonial ruler of the kingdom.
