At the international level, Belgium plays an important role during this decade. In 1967, the Minister of Foreign Affairs Pierre Harmel presents a plan to restart East-West political relationship at NATO. According to him, detente and military security aren’t incompatible, but complementary. Thus he favored a political discussion with the countries of the Warsaw Pact.

But the events of 1968 question anything. Nevertheless P. Harmel carries on with his politics and starts a dialog with Romania. But these efforts won’t be carried out any longer once he left and the relationship between Belgium and the Eastern countries progressively slow down.