"Dear Director General,
Dear Director,
Dear Ladies and Gentlemen,
This is surely not the first time that I have the pleasure to welcome you in Luxembourg.
But this time it is a very special occasion for me – because we meet here in Esch/Belval.
Back when I was the mayor of Esch between the years 2000 and 2013, I had the privilege to accompany this project and to watch it grow gradually.
As you could learn during your guided tour through the site of Belval earlier on, this used to be an industrial site.
Now it is the place where research, knowledge, education and innovation are concentrated.
Belval is the perfect illustration of the change that Luxembourg has been undergoing during the last years in its quest for diversity, adaptiveness to new situations and excellence.
And I believe that this quest is also the objective of the Health Security Committee.
Dear Ladies and Gentlemen,
You strive with relentless energy to find the best possible answers to all possible sanitary threats, as soon as they arrive and by pulling your heads together as often as needed.
And in the end, just like this University, by sharing your experience, you contribute to serve the interest of our citizens in the best possible way.
And I want to thank you for this.
The topics you have addressed on a weekly basis in the last months are of high political importance: let me just name a few:
- The Zika virus
- Antimicrobial Resistance
- The recent yellow fever outbreak in Angola.
During this plenary, you have chosen topics that are high on the political agenda:
- Preparedness and implementation of the International Health Regulations
- Lessons learnt from the recent terrorist attacks
- Vaccine shortages
- Joint procurement of medical counter-measures
- And Antimicrobial Resistance.
These are topics which interest us all. They raise interrogations and fears.
As a health minister, I am particularly thankful for your work because it provides us with the guidance we need to make decisions on matters which are central to the interest of our healthcare systems. They are also essential for our citizens:
For their health
Their security
And Their wellbeing!
I have already said this but I won’t get tired in repeating it:
Luxembourg is honoured to host the Health Security Committee!
And I am personally extremely pleased to have one of the most important units of DG SANTE located on the Luxembourg territory.
Working with you has always been a very enriching and pleasant experience – just as will be this evening, I am sure!
With this, I wish you an enjoyable get-together and a fruitful continuation of your discussions tomorrow. Thank you!"