France's Hollande invites Belgium's new king on ties boost

French President Francois Hollande invited the newly-sworn Belgian King Philippe to visit Paris to further reinforce bilateral economic and political links, the president's office said on Monday. In a letter posted on the Elysee website, Hollande said "pleased and honored to welcome" Belgium's new King in Paris "to extend close and unswerving long friendship relation." "Old and strong, economic, human, political and cultural links united our countries. I want to strengthen them by prolonging the excellent relations that prevailed during the reign of your father, King Albert II," the president told the the 53-year-old King. "In this crucial time for the European Union, our two countries have a special responsibility to make Europe again a source of hope in the eyes of its citizens," he added. Philippe has become on Sunday Belgium's seventh king after his father Albert II left the throne to him at the age of 79 years following two decades of reign.