"I want the best possible arrangement for Britain's exit from the EU"
Flemish PM Geert Bourgeois has identified a Brexit settlement with Britain as one of the priorities for his administration. Mr Bourgeois was speaking in the Flemish Parliament in Brussels about the projects his team hope to realise during the coming year.
Last year the Flemish leader met Britain's Prince Charles at Tyne Cot Cemetery in West Flanders
The Flemish leader told lawmakers that Brexit, Britain's quitting the EU, will cost the Flemish money. He noted that he was eager to see the "best possible arrangement for Britain's exit from the EU" and that he was monitoring the process on a daily basis.
Mr Bourgeois's top priority in 2018 is to secure investments on a massive scale: "New investments are crucial, also for our new industry and the fourth industrial revolution."
In addition to a Brexit settlement Mr Bourgeois is keen to see a major shift in urban and countryside planning. He promised greater protection for vulnerable forests and new rules for housing expansion.