“Our respective people know better how Morocco and Belgium are historic allies. We undoubtedly have very strong human ties”, Quintin said at a joint press briefing following his talks with Minister of Foreign Affairs, African Cooperation and Moroccan Expatriates Nasser Bourita.

Estimated at 800,000 people, the Moroccan community in Belgium, particularly in Brussels, “contributes to the diversity and intermingling of Belgian society”, he added.

Welcoming the political closeness between the two countries, the Belgian minister praised “the good cooperation” in the fight against illegal immigration, justice and police.

“Belgium undoubtedly hopes to bolster this joint work in the future, since these issues will surely be among the priorities of the new government,” Quintin stated.

“We clearly have privileged economic ties with Morocco”, the Minister also stressed, noting that ‘Belgian exports of goods to the Kingdom amounted to around €1.3 billion up to October 2024, a growth of almost 15% compared to the same period in 2023’.

Describing this leap as “very positive”, the head of Belgian diplomacy expressed his country’s willingness to further strengthen this momentum, stressing that “trade must be on par with our human and political relations”.

Furthermore, Belgium, notably through its federated authorities and companies, strives to be a leading partner in supporting Morocco’s economic and ecological growth, by contributing to major projects, he added.

In this sense, he underlined the readiness and expertise of Belgian companies to contribute to these major achievements, announcing that numerous thematic economic missions are already planned for the Kingdom in 2025.