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Claes was born in Hasselt, Belgium. He began his political career in the Hasselt city council. In 1968, he was elected to the national parliament. In 1992, he entered the cabinet for the first time as minister of education. Between 1973 and 1992, he was minister of economic affairs of Belgium three separate times. He also served as deputy prime minister five times, and was an important negotiator in the formation of coalition governments during the 1980s.
Claes was foreign minister of Belgium from 1992 until 1994, and secretary general of NATO from 1994 until 1995, when he was forced to resign because of allegations of corruption related to improper contracts for helicopterA helicopter is an aircraft which is lifted and propelled by one or more large horizontal rotors ( propellers). Helicopters are classified as rotary-wing aircraft to distinguish them from conventional fixed-wing aircraft. The word helicopter is derived frs approved by him while he was minister of economic affairs.