The Belgian National Group (BNG) represents Belgian Federal Parliament at the Interparliamentary Union. Seventy-one bilateral parliamentary groups of friends was established within the BNG until today. The aim of these groups is primarily to support networking and deepening the contacts with the members of the Parliaments of other states.

The main purpose of the meeting was to discuss possibility of celebrations of the 100th anniversary of establishment of independent Czechoslovakia and the commemoration of the 50th anniversary of Prague Spring and the Warsaw Pact invasion of Czechoslovakia in 2018 in the premises of the Belgian Federal Parliament.

After all connection between Belgium and Czech Republic is more than just the similar area of the two states, geographic location and the history of the states. Both countries had to withstand the domination and confront the invasions of other nations as well during 20th century. After the First World War Belgium was also one of the first states which recognized the independence of Czechoslovakia. During the Second World War both countries were occupied by the German army and also in that time both of the governments - Czech and also belgian, were moved to London. Thanks to the historical documents it is known that Belgium also strongly supported Czechoslovakia in its resistance against Soviet troops invading the Czechoslovak territory in order to suppress the Prague Spring in 1968.