On April 8, President Noda Yoshihiko received a courtesy visit from Belgian Ambassador to Japan Antoine Evrard. The meeting was also attended by Director-General of the International Department, Kentaro Gemma, and Deputy Director-General of the International Department, Shu Sakurai. President Noda and Ambassador Evrard exchanged views on the position and issues of the European Commission (EU), of which Belgium is a member, and confirmed the importance of cooperation between Japan and the EU. In addition, opinions were exchanged on a wide range of topics, including peace between Russia and Ukraine, security policy, the situation in the Japanese Diet, same-sex marriage, and gender equality.