Gérard Depardieu: Belgium makes tax exile Gérard Depardieu an honorary citizen Actor, 64, invited 200 residents from village of Nechin to a barbecue Suckling pig and steak were on the menu at the housewarming party Came after he was made honorary citizen of Belgian village of Nechin Said he is a 'citizen of the world' who happened to settle in tax haven Gerard Depardieu has thrown a barbecue for 200 of his neighbours after being made an honorary citizen of the Belgian town he moved to in order to escape high tax rates in France. The actor caused controversy last year when he announced he was leaving France to avoid a threatened 75 per cent rate of tax on annual incomes over one million euros (£860,000). After yesterday's ceremony in Nechin, Belgium, Depardieu told reporters that he considered himself a 'citizen of the world.' Gerard Depardieu said he was a 'citizen of the world' when he was made an honorary Belgian yesterday Gerard Depardieu, standing next to the mayor of Estaimpuis, Daniel Senesael (left), said the furore surrounding his tax exile status was a 'big misunderstanding' Following the ceremony Depardieu invited neighbours to his home for a housewarming party His comments follow an interview with French magazine Le Figaro that the controversy surrounding his self-imposed exile from France was a 'big misunderstanding.' Depardieu, 64, told the magazine: "I never left! This whole story is a big misunderstanding. I love France as much as ever. Yesterday, the actor cooked suckling pig and steaks for his neighbours in Nechin, just one kilometre from the border with France. The ceremony was held at the Chateau Bourgogne where he was made an honorary citizen of Estaimpuis municipality, which includes the village. Depardieu bought the white 19th century five-bedroom house in Nechin (pictured) last year Guests were fed steak from the barbecue and sucking pig, according to reports Vintage U.S. cars were brought to the house, including a Ford Panel 1950 complete with red Russian star The actor, who famously starred in Green Card and Cyrano de Bergerac, moved to the tax haven last year and bought a 19th century five-bedroom villa. Town mayor Daniel Senesael said Depardieu had always planned to 'do something nice with the neighbours'. He told the BBC: 'He kept his word. He bought his house, the neighbours were invited... and so I think it's great when you keep your promises.' Depardieu, who has made more than 150 films, wrote an open letter to France's prime minister Jean-Marc Ayrault last year explaining why he was leaving his native country. Actor Gerard Depardieu is made an honorary Belgium citizen at a ceremony held in his honour close to his new home in the village of Nechin just a kilometre away from the border from France He was fined earlier this year after falling off his scooter while driving drunk in Paris. Defection: In January the flamboyant actor accepted a Russian passport from President Vladimir Putin