The outdoor ceremony at the Palace Square and the visit to the Unknown Soldier, which were part of the state visit by Portuguese President Marcelo Rebelo de Sousa, have been canceled on

Tuesday morning. However, indoor activities will proceed as planned. These changes were reported by the Royal Palace one day after the shooting incident in Brussels.

President De Sousa arrived in Belgium on Tuesday for a three-day state visit. Traditionally, a reception with the King and Queen of Belgium would take place at the Royal Palace in the heart of Brussels. However, following the shooting incident on Monday evening, in which two Swedes were shot dead before the gunman was killed, the threat level in the capital has been raised to four. This has led to schedule adjustments for the state visit, confirmed Lore Vandoorne, the palace's spokesperson.

"The welcoming ceremony at the Palace Square will not take place," stated Vandoorne. "However, the Portuguese president will be received inside the palace." Inside, the delegation will be introduced, the guest book will be signed, and the official photograph will be taken as originally planned.

A visit to the Monument of the Unknown Soldier was also part of the agenda but has now been canceled. Instead, the group will directly proceed to the Palace of the Nation for the planned visit to the Chamber and Senate, which has been moved indoors. Other details are still under discussion, added the spokesperson. Photo by Prazeres, Wikimedia commons.