NATO Summit Agenda to Prevent Belgian PM From Attending Belgium's World Cup Game

13:09 GMT, 9 July 2018

BRUSSELS (Sputnik) - Belgian Prime Minister Charles Michel will not attend his national team's World Cup semi-final against France in St. Petersburg on Tuesday due to the NATO summit taking place in Brussels on Wednesday and Thursday, a spokesman for the Belgian government told Sputnik on Monday.

Sputnik

"The agenda of the NATO summit which will gather around 40 heads of state and government in Brussels on July 11 and 12 is incompatible with a trip to St. Petersburg," the spokesman said.

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However, Michel plans to watch the match in the Braine-le-Comte municipality, where Belgium forward Eden Hazard lives, upon the mayor's invitation.

King Philippe and Queen Mathilde of Belgium as well as the country's Foreign Minister Didier Reynders are expected to attend the match in Russia.

Belgium will face 1998 World Cup winners France at the St. Petersburg Stadium on Tuesday at 21:00 local time (18:00 GMT).