Morocco and Belgium welcomed, Monday in Rabat, the dynamics of their bilateral relations, reaffirming their shared desire to further deepen them with a view to establishing a strategic partnership focused on the future, living up to expectations and the potential that exists between the two countries to respond to current and future challenges.
In the Joint Declaration, adopted at the end of the work of the 3rd Meeting of the High Joint Morocco-Belgium Partnership Commission, co-chaired by the Head of Government, Aziz Akhannouch, and the Belgian Prime Minister, Alexander De Croo, the two parties also expressed their desire to strengthen trade and investments, to cooperate on climate, energy transition through the development of renewable energies and green molecules, as well as on water management and infrastructure. and transportation.
The two Heads of Government also welcomed the regular political dialogue, as evidenced by the visit to Morocco of the Minister of Foreign Affairs, European Affairs and Foreign Trade and Federal Cultural Institutions, Hadja Lahbib, on October 20 2022, at the end of which a Joint Declaration was adopted between the two countries.
On the legislative level, the two parties underlined the importance of parliamentary cooperation which plays an essential role in strengthening bilateral relations, while encouraging the legislative institutions of the two countries to intensify their partnership, in particular through the creation of a Joint parliamentary forum constituting a space for dialogue and exchange.
In this sense, they reaffirmed their desire to further strengthen cooperation in the field of energy transition.
The two Heads of Government also welcomed the scheduling of a Business Forum on April 16 in Casablanca, which will allow economic operators from the two countries to explore the numerous opportunities offered by Morocco and Belgium in matters of trade and investment.
They also welcomed the success of the long-standing development cooperation between the two Kingdoms covering numerous areas, and the signing, in February 2024, of the Specific Convention for the 2023-2028 cooperation program, aimed in particular at encouraging the economic inclusion of women and young people in a decent work environment, knowing that part of the program concerns projects aimed at contributing to the reconstruction phase of the Al Haouz region.
MM. Akhannouch and De Croo also welcomed the progress recorded in the context of judicial cooperation, through the permanent exchange of expertise, official visits and joint commissions, welcoming the conclusions of the last Joint Commission on the matter. civil and criminal, held in December 2023, in particular the concrete implementation of the Convention between the Kingdom of Belgium and the Kingdom of Morocco on assistance to detained persons and the transfer of convicted persons, and its Additional Protocol.
In this Joint Declaration, the two parties demonstrated their desire to promote innovative judicial cooperation, aligned with the highest international standards, for the effective management of cross-border judicial matters.
The two Heads of Government underlined the common interest of the two countries in continuing and strengthening close bilateral cooperation to combat threats to national and international security.
In terms of security cooperation, they affirmed their desire to develop it further, in particular through the establishment of a regular cooperation structure. They also welcomed the implementation of the Cooperation Convention in the fight against organized crime and terrorism, which entered into force in 2022, and the 2022-2024 action plan in the field of police cooperation.
The two Heads of Government welcomed the progress made within the framework of migration cooperation, in particular the holding of the 1st meeting of the Moroccan-Belgian Joint Migration Group and the joint implementation of effective measures.
Taking into account the institutional framework of each party, they underlined their desire to further strengthen cultural cooperation between the two countries, which constitutes an important lever for mutual understanding and for rapprochement between the Moroccan and Belgian communities.
The two parties thus discussed the possibilities of further developing the partnership in the cultural field, such as the exchange of expertise in the protection, conservation and enhancement of tangible and intangible cultural heritage, cooperation between museums and institutes specializing in arts and heritage professions and the organization of cultural and artistic activities in both countries.
Emphasis was also placed on the importance of developing cooperation between the two countries in the field of sport, particularly women’s sport. In this regard, Morocco congratulated Belgium for its candidacy, jointly with Germany and the Netherlands, for the organization of the Women’s Football World Cup in 2027.
LNT with Map
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– 2024-04-17 17:37:58
