Speaking at a meeting of the Foreign Affairs Committee in the Belgian House of Representatives, the Belgian Deputy Prime Minister and Minister of Foreign Affairs, Maxime Prévot, stressed that the Belgian Consulate General in Rabat is competent for the Kingdom of Morocco without regional distinction, including for the Sahara region with regard to consular services and assistance.
He noted that Belgians residing in the southern provinces of the Kingdom are registered and benefit from consular services on the same basis as their compatriots established in other regions of Morocco, and that consular assistance is offered to Belgians passing through the region.
The Belgian Deputy Prime Minister assured that he will ensure in the coming weeks that the commitments made by Belgium within the framework of the political agreement signed between the two Kingdoms on October 23rd are fully implemented in order to further strengthen bilateral cooperation in several areas.
He indicated, in this regard, that he will invite the Belgian ambassador in Rabat to make a visit to the Sahara region very soon in order to prepare or support several economic initiatives such as visits by Belgian companies, the organization of economic forums in Belgium or Morocco, or an economic mission from the three Belgian regional agencies to the region.
He also announced the preparation of a government visit to Morocco during next spring, focused on the implementation of this agreement, noting that to celebrate Belgian-Moroccan relations we are even working on the organisation during this legislative term of a state and high-level visit with a Royal presence in Morocco.
Mr. Prévot recalled that the political agreement signed with Morocco in October constitutes an important step in the framework of a strategic partnership based on very important economic, human and cultural ties, in that it allows for further exploration of the many economic opportunities available to Belgian companies in Morocco and vice versa, as well as the establishment of increased dialogue on security issues, the modernization of judicial cooperation and the strengthening of cooperation in matters of migration, the fight against organized crime and money laundering.
He also reaffirmed Belgium's support for the Moroccan autonomy plan, describing it as the most suitable basis for finding a solution to the conflict over the Sahara.
The Moroccan initiative for the negotiation of an autonomy status for the Sahara region presented in 2007, which provides that this region falls within the framework of Morocco's sovereignty and national unity, now constitutes for Belgium the most adequate, serious, credible and realistic basis for reaching a political solution that is just, lasting and mutually acceptable to the parties in accordance with the resolutions of the United Nations Security Council, he insisted.
