Thomas Leysen, president of the Federation of Enterprises in Belgium (EFB), which hosted the forum, told the audience that one of the two major lessons to be learned in the financial crisis was not to slide into protectionism.
“Belgium is small but a very open country. It believes that international trade and investment are key drivers of global growth. EFB is convinced that an open trade system is crucial for guaranteeing a return to viable growth in the coming years,” he said.
Leysen called on world governments to keep the promises to avoid protectionism they made at the G20 summits in Washington, London and Pittsburg.