Declaration of Sainte-Adresse

[2] A further assurance was made by British foreign minister Edward Grey in August 1915 that Britain would insist upon restoration of full Belgian independence in any peace negotiation.

[3] Following the Italian entry into the war in May 1915, with territorial expansion promised by the Allies in the Treaty of London, Belgium considered renouncing her neutrality to secure similar rewards.

[5] The declaration states that the major Allied powers (Britain, France and Russia) would not sign a peace deal that failed to ensure Belgium's "political and economic independence" and provide her with financial reimbursement for damage suffered in the war.

[1][7] No mention was made of any territorial expansion of Belgium after the war and the British foreign secretary, Arthur Balfour, was clear that his government opposed this when questioned in July 1916.

On 29 April 1916 the declaration was extended to the Belgian Congo, at Albert I's insistence and in response to an American proposal that the colony be sold to Germany with the proceeds being used as reparations for Belgium.

[6] The Allied powers and guarantors declare that, when the time comes, the Belgian Government shall be invited to participate in the negotiations of peace and that they will not terminate hostilities until Belgium shall be reestablished in her political and economic independence, and liberally indemnified for the losses which she has sustained.

They will extend their aid to Belgium in order to insure her commercial and financial restoration.Peace negotiations between the Allies and the Central Powers began in 1919 at the Paris Peace Conference following the Armistice of 11 November 1918.

[17]: 254 In the run up to the German invasion of May 1940 Belgian King Leopold III discussed a possible renewal of the declaration with Britain, but the government of Neville Chamberlain did not progress the matter.