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Join on Telegram Rabat – Morocco is a leading strategic partner for Belgium, Belgian Prime Minister Alexander De Croo said today in Rabat.
During the opening of the third meeting of the Joint High Committee for Morocco-Belgium Partnership, Croo emphasized that “Morocco is a leading and pivotal strategic partner, with whom we have deep, strong, and diverse relationships.”
He highlighted that this meeting underscores “the mutual desire to elevate relations between the two countries to their fullest potential,” noting that “there are many achievements that Morocco and Belgium can accomplish together.”
“We live in a complex world, facing challenges that any country finds extremely difficult to deal with alone,” he said, adding that “having good friends is the best guarantee for the prosperity, security, and stability of our peoples.”
De Croo explained that Morocco and Belgium are “close friends,” stressing that “the two countries have demonstrated their ability to work together in recent months.”
The Belgian PM further expressed his satisfaction with the continuation of the political dialogue, which is now strengthened through the holding of this meeting in an atmosphere of renewed trust.
De Cross also expressed his hope to see the partnership between the two countries further strengthened to fully benefit from its potential in areas of common interest.
He pointed out that this year marks the 60th anniversary of the 1964 agreement regarding the employment of Moroccan labor in Belgium, noting that “more than 5% of Belgium’s population have family ties to Morocco, and these individuals constitute a valuable force and contribution to Belgium.”
“They are an integral part of national life, active in many fields, contributing to Belgium’s wealth and diversity,” he explained.
In a bid to boost collaboration between the two countries, Morocco and Belgium signed two memorandums of understanding (MoU) and a cooperation roadmap on the sidelines of the third meeting of the joint committee.
The MoUs cover the modernization of the judicial administration and green energy, as well as a roadmap for actions within the framework of political dialogue.
The Cooperation Roadmap, signed by the Minister of Foreign Affairs, Nasser Bourita, and his Belgian counterpart, Hadja Lahbib, outlines the actions taken within the framework of political dialogue.
The framework includes holding political consultations, meetings of Foreign Ministers, and the organization of the JHC and sets out the prospects for bilateral cooperation in various fields including energy transition, migration, security, and human rights, among others.
In addition, the two parties signed a second memorandum of understanding in the field of modernization of the judicial administration. The agreement was inked by the Minister of Justice, Abdellatif Ouahbi, and his Belgian counterpart Paul Van Tigchelt.
The MoU aims to establish a framework for collaboration and exchange between the parties in the modernization of judicial administration, strengthening its management capacities, and developing its resources through the exchange of information on legislative developments related to the field of justice, technical support for justice reform projects, etc.
The second MoU covers the green energy field and was signed by Leila Benali and Hadja Lahbib.’It aims to develop cooperation between the two parties, based on mutual benefit for green initiatives.
The agreement encourages exchanges in these areas and supports the efforts of both parties for the production and distribution of green hydrogen and ammonia for local consumption, and regional and international export to industrial clusters in the Kingdom of Belgium and other countries of the European Union.
