France/ Seine-et-Marne: this town plants a tree to mark its twinning with a Belgian town

To celebrate the first anniversary of the twinning between Le Châtelet-en-Brie and Baelen, a tree was planted at a ceremony welcoming the Belgian delegation.

One year after its creation, the twinning between Le Châtelet-en-Brie (Seine-et-Marne ) and Baelen, Belgium, is now firmly anchored in time, with the planting of a beech tree as a symbol of their friendship. On Saturday May 16, 2026, the park of the Château des Dames welcomed a delegation of 19 Belgians from the twin town for a weekend of celebrations. Residents and elected representatives gathered for an emotional ceremony. The highlight of the weekend was the planting of a purple beech. The tree, chosen for its longevity and sustainable growth, represents the deep ties that now unite the two communes.

A purple beech to mark the twinning between Le Châtelet-en-Brie and Baelen

Patricia Torcol, mayor of Le Châtelet-en-Brie, commented: "This bond of solidarity, friendship and fraternity between our two communes, with its deep roots and lasting growth, is only just beginning.This tree represents the strong ties that unite our inhabitants through exchanges of a beautiful human quality. "

The mayor also emphasized the symbolic dimension of this gesture: "We want to be those who believe in lasting friendship, those who believe in a better world and in fraternity between peoples. To be those who simply love each other in order to build a world of peace and cooperation, beyond our borders. "

A young twinning

This young twinning may only be a year old, but it has already forged remarkable links between the two communities. Magali Béthouart, president of the twinning committee and municipal councillor, looks back on this adventure: "The committee is very young. This is my second term of office, and in 2022 I've been asked to be the twinning delegate and create twinning within the town hall. "

To find the ideal partner commune, the committee established precise criteria. "We wanted twinning to be accessible to everyone. We chose two countries, Belgium and the Netherlands, and I looked for towns with the same number of inhabitants," explains Magali Béthouart.

Beyond the official ceremonies, it's the exchanges between residents that make this twinning so rich. "We've met some lovely, simple, genuine people. These future cultural, sporting and educational exchanges can only blossom with everyone's determination", added Patricia Torcol.

The weekend, organized by the twinning committee, enabled the Belgian delegation to discover Le Châtelet-en-Brie in a festive atmosphere: "We exchanged with Baelen and our Belgian friends were fantastic! "This first anniversary marks the beginning of a long history together. The beech tree planted in the grounds of the Château des Dames will grow with the seasons, bearing silent witness to this Franco-Belgian friendship that's just waiting to blossom.

This tree has an even more symbolic dimension, as it will receive soil from Belgium at its feet," concluded Baelen mayor Nathalie Thönnissen. A land that today joins that of Châtelet-en-Brie. Dex different lands, but now united to nourish the same tree! "

Source: actu.fr/ile-de-france/