The possible destruction of female contraceptives stored in Belgium, which are in the heart of an imbroglio with Washington, is subject to the authorization of the local administration, and at this stage no lot has been destroyed, contrary to what the New York Times wrote, Belgian authorities said on Friday, September 12.
“These products are part of the prohibition of the incineration of reusable goods,” possibly avoiding an exemption, but “this type of dismissal has not been requested or granted,” a spokesman for the Flemish Minister Jo Bruns, competent in this issue to the AFP.
At the moment, “no lot has been sent to incineration,” he added.
A diplomatic imbroglio between Washington and Brussels
The article in the New York Times evokes the destruction of the shares housed in Geel by the Swiss logistic giant Kuehne & Nagel “is incorrect,” said the spokesman, and added that the Flemish administration had gone to the site to verify.
The American Daily reported this destruction this Friday, September 12, based on a press release from a USAID official, an American agency for international development, now integrated into the State Department.
These products, such as contraceptive implants or DIU, initially intended for African countries, have been in the heart of an imbroglio for two months between US and Belgian authorities, Brussels strive to convince Washington that destruction should be avoided.
For the Trump administration it is “to destroy certain abortive contraceptive products of the USAID contracts” under the presidency of Joe Biden, a state department spokesman had explained in mid -July.
An illustration of the new political orientations in Washington in the Trump era, with a strong review of international aid and a reduction in supporting programs that promote family planning or abortion.
Diplomatic pressures to avoid waste
The announcement in mid -July of the US administration had also aroused a storm in France between NGOs and feminist associations. On September 5, Belgian Foreign Minister Maxime Prévot told AFP that his country continued to “vigorously” vigorously “to Washington to avoid” disaster “that would represent the destruction.
“The diplomatic contacts of our Embassy in Washington continue,” said a Belgian diplomacy spokesman on Friday.
According to several sources, these products have an estimated value of almost $ 10 million (8.5 million euros).
Source: BFM TV
