Belgium and Morocco sign agreement to strengthen cooperation
Belgium and Morocco have signed an agreement to strengthen cooperation across multiple areas, aiming for concrete and measurable results. The deal covers security, justice, economic development, and migration. Belgium has also committed to supporting Morocco’s autonomy proposal for Western Sahara, a region that has been at the centre of an international dispute for nearly fifty years.
The agreement was signed in Brussels by Deputy Prime Minister and Minister of Foreign Affairs, European Affairs and Development Cooperation Maxime Prévot, and Moroccan Minister of Foreign Affairs, African Cooperation and Moroccans Living Abroad Nasser Bourita.
It includes Belgium’s commitment to act diplomatically and economically in support of Morocco’s autonomy proposal for Western Sahara. This constitutes the first official Belgian endorsement of the plan, which has previously received backing from the European Union, France, Germany, and the United States. The plan envisages autonomy for the region within Moroccan sovereignty, in line with United Nations Security Council resolutions.
Migration forms one component of the agreement, with measures designed to streamline procedures for the readmission of irregularly staying migrants who have been convicted of crimes. In 2025, according to statistics from the Immigration Office, Moroccan nationals represented the largest group of migrants returned from Belgian prisons.
Beyond migration, the agreement covers cooperation on security, judicial matters, and economic development. Measures include enhanced judicial collaboration, efforts to combat organised crime, and initiatives to support trade, investment, and infrastructure projects between the two countries.
For more details, please refer to the press release from the Belgian Federal Public Service for Foreign Affairs and read the press release from Belga.