Crelan, a Belgian bank and insurer (50-50 joint venture).

In 2008 many Belgian banks got money from the government due to a bank crisis.

It was the second largest Belgian bank.

LEAD: The Belgian central bank raised short-term interest rates today for the fourth time in two weeks.

The Belgian central bank announced today that it was cutting its discount and Lombard rates, effective Thursday.

Fortis was the largest Belgian bank in early 2008, positioned mainly in the Benelux.

He said that the Belgian central bank had offered trading space and that the exchange's surviving computers could handle the bids.

The strain in the relationship was not helped by Fortis's financial difficulties as it became clear the Belgian bank was facing its own funding crunch.

He worked at the Belgian central bank from 1972 to 1975.

In an unusual move, the Swiss, French, Austrian and Belgian central banks confirmed their intervention.