The Embassy of Belgium in Berlin

Piet Heirbaut

H.E. Piet Heirbaut is a distinguished Belgian diplomat currently serving as Ambassador of the Kingdom of Belgium to the Federal Republic of Germany, a post he assumed in December 2024. With over 25 years of experience in international diplomacy, European affairs, and international law, Ambassador Heirbaut brings profound expertise to one of Belgium's most significant diplomatic missions.

Before his appointment in Berlin, Ambassador Heirbaut served as Director General for Legal Affairs at the Belgian Ministry of Foreign Affairs (2020–2024), where he led the legal dimension of Belgium's foreign policy and international obligations. From 2017 to 2020, he was Ambassador to the State of Kuwait and the Kingdom of Bahrain, deepening Belgium’s bilateral ties in the Gulf region.

Ambassador Heirbaut’s career spans a broad spectrum of multilateral and bilateral postings. He has represented Belgium in Brussels, Hanoi, Abidjan, Copenhagen, Washington D.C., Seoul, and at the Permanent Representation of Belgium to the European Union, where he was actively involved in EU institutional coordination, justice and home affairs, and interinstitutional dialogue.

His commitment to international legal cooperation was further demonstrated in May 2023, when he served as Vice President of the Ljubljana Diplomatic Conference, which formally adopted the Mutual Legal Assistance Treaty—a milestone in global judicial collaboration.

Ambassador Heirbaut is widely recognized for his strategic acumen, legal expertise, and dedication to multilateral diplomacy. His current mandate in Germany continues Belgium’s commitment to strong European partnerships and transatlantic cooperation.

Belgium and Germany share a large geographical border. The relationship between the two countries is marked by close political, economic and cultural cooperation between the two. For example, Germany is Belgium's first commercial partner and Belgium is Germany's seventh. Cooperation between the two states has increased steadily since the end of World War II. In 1951, Belgium was one of the first countries to recognize the Federal Republic of Germany and restart diplomatic relations with them.