Middle East

Relations between Belgium and the Maghreb

Belgium enjoys a good reputation in the countries of North Africa, mainly because of the size of the North African community in Belgium and the dynamic nature of Belgian trade.

Belgium has a Moroccan community of almost half a million, leading to strong ties with Morocco at all levels. The importance of our relations was illustrated by the first High-level Joint Partnership Commission meeting in March 2007. Morocco has also been a special partner for Belgian development cooperation since the 1960s. Belgium currently has some 20 direct bilateral cooperation projects in progress in Morocco, and Prince Philippe led an economic mission there from 22 to 26 November 2009 with a view to giving fresh momentum to trade between Belgium and Morocco.

The governments of Belgium and Algeria have been actively cooperating ever since 1975. Belgium has a very good reputation in Algeria, thanks largely to the Belgian embassy being one of the few that did not close down during the bloody decade of the Algerian civil war. In terms of trade, Algeria has for a number of years now consistently been the second biggest market in Africa for the three Belgian Regions and is one of the partner countries for Belgian development cooperation.

Belgium has very long-standing bilateral relations with Tunisia, founded on the Treaty of Friendship, Commerce and Navigation concluded in 1839 between Leopold I, King of the Belgians and Ahmed Pacha Bey, sovereign of the Kingdom of Tunis. Since the early 1960s, a number of direct cooperation agreements have been signed between Belgium and Tunisia. Since May 2000, Tunisia has ceased to be a partner country for Belgian development cooperation, but it continues to cooperate closely with the Belgian Communities and Regions, which are also represented in Tunisia. In addition, there is virtually autonomous cooperation between universities in the two countries and in the field of scientific research. The major Belgian investments and regular bilateral visits testify to the sound bilateral relations between Belgium and Tunisia.

Belgium is also popular in Libya thanks to representing US interests during the embargo. In 2011, following the Libyan revolution, Belgium actively took part in operation Unified Protector led by NATO in respect of Resolution 1973 of the UN Security Council, and has been in contact since May with the Libyan opposition. An official visit by Minister Reynders took place in February 2012.

While the developments triggered by the Arab Spring across all of North Africa grew from a deplorable socio-economic situation, and a great sense of dissatisfaction with autocracies that too often monopolised power to their exclusive benefit, these same developments nevertheless differed greatly from one country to the next. Whereas Tunisia has reached the peak of its revolution by continuing along the path of democratic transition, in spite of the difficult socio-economic situation and political upheaval, Libya continues to encounter great difficulties in restoring the security that is so indispensable to implementing that transition. The Moroccan and Algerian authorities, for their part, have managed to keep the popular protest movements in hand by launching a raft of reforms aimed at deepening and consolidating democracy in their countries, thus initiating a phase of “soft transition”.

Bilateral relations with the Near East

Belgium fosters the broadest possible bilateral relations with every country in the Near East. A few examples are given below.

Belgium has excellent bilateral relations with Egypt. The Belgian and Egyptian governments are in regular contact at the highest level. The mission led by HRH Prince Philippe played a very important role in terms of economic development and cooperation and also demonstrated the considerable potential involved in deepening existing economic relations. Belgium also acknowledges the key role Egypt is playing as a mediator in the Israeli-Arab conflict and as a major regional player with a high Arab population.

Belgium’s regular and close contacts with Israel extend to the political, administrative, professional and cultural domains, and encompass a variety of official levels as well as private initiatives. The official meetings are a chance to address topical international issues, multilateral issues such as the Kimberley Process, human rights (including combating discrimination and anti-Semitism) and the memory of the Holocaust. They also examine strategies to strengthen economic, technological and trade relations within the different national competences.

Belgium enjoys a good reputation in Jordan, thanks to for example the high quality of the industrial goods it supplies and its positions on the Israeli-Arab conflict and the war in Iraq, which went down well there. Trade between the two countries mainly involves exports from Belgium to Jordan. The two royal families also enjoy cordial relations. Indeed, King Abdallah has been to Belgium on a number of occasions and Belgian ministers make regular visits to Jordan.

Lebanon and Belgium are similar in a number of ways, e.g. their political system based on consultation between communities and regions with different cultural, religious or linguistic allegiances.

Belgium supports the European Union’s efforts, under for example the EU-Lebanon Association Agreement, to meet the shared goals that have been agreed and the implementation, by all the parties involved, of all the relevant resolutions of the United National Security Council.

In the Palestinian Territory, Belgium is also contributing to the political and financial support provided by the European Union for the establishment of public institutions by the Palestinian Authority, under the leadership of Prime Minister Salam Fayyad. Despite a new stalemate in negotiations, Belgium continues to support the search for a negotiated solution with Israel which will enable the creation of a Palestinian State, and in which Jerusalem would became the capital of two states. The Palestinian Territory is among the 18 Belgian development cooperation partner countries. Belgium is also trying to bring about cooperation with the Palestinian Authority which strengthens the two countries’ political and economic ties.

Generally speaking, Belgium wishes to transpose bilateral relations with Syria into an Association Agreement with the European Union. But political contacts and economic and commercial exchange were shackled by the policy of sanctions imposed on the Assad regime. Likewise, in order to conclude an agreement against double imposition and a mutual protection agreement, investments have been suspended.

In effect, the Arab Spring has resulted in deep fault-lines within the populations of these regions. The crushing victory of a more militant form of Islam in Egypt complicates the transition process. In Jordan, reform movements that began peacefully risk turning sour due to a new wave of refugees from Syria, while Lebanon tries to distance itself as much as possible from the chaos that is gradually taking hold in neighbouring Syria. In this latter country, the refusal by the existing authorities to give in to the street protests, to which it responds instead with aggression, is taking the country down a path towards a dangerous civil war.

The Middle East

International diplomats have been endeavouring to find a peaceful solution to the Israeli-Palestinian conflict for decades. Two peoples have been caught up in the maelstrom of history and plunged into a conflict that can ultimately only be resolved through negotiations.

As a member of the European Union, Belgium is supporting the efforts made to achieve a peaceful solution to the conflict that would pave the way for the creation of a viable Palestinian state that can peacefully live side by side with Israel. To this end and along with its EU partners, Belgium continues urging both parties to honour their respective obligations and to respect international law. Moreover, Belgium opposes any measures being taken that could damage the trust that is needed between the two sides. A complete freeze on settlement-building could be an initial step in this direction, as could a crackdown on all terrorist attacks aimed at citizens.

Belgium is calling on the Quartet and its members to adopt a clear, unanimous standpoint to keep alive the prospect of a peaceful, negotiated settlement in the near future.

Belgium also pleads for a total lifting of the Gaza blockade. The process of reconciliation between Hamas and Fatah remains an issue of concern to both the international community and Belgium. We also want Fatah to push ahead with the reforms introduced by the Plan of Palestinian Prime Minister Salam Fayyad. In addition to better access to Gaza, improved mobility on the West Bank is needed to ensure economic recovery there.

Other regional conflicts in this area, namely the Israeli-Lebanese and Israeli-Syrian conflicts, are unfortunately totally overshadowed as a result.

Iraq and Iran

Belgium is deepening its diplomatic relations with Iraq, as demonstrated by its accreditation of an ambassador there in November 2009. In May 2009, a Belgian Minister for Foreign Affairs visited the country for the first time in 19 years, going to Baghdad and Erbil. This visit prompted the Iraqi authorities to encourage Belgian companies to develop their activities in Iraq.

The main thrusts of Belgium’s policy on Iraq are: support for ‘inclusiveness’ of the Iraqi political process, i.e. the participation of all the communities in the country’s reconstruction; support for ‘regional ownership’, i.e. the constructive involvement of Iraq’s neighbours in the country’s stabilisation, reconciliation and reconstruction process; and Belgium’s support for the United Nation’s role in Iraq of providing assistance and coordinating humanitarian aid. However, the human rights situation in Iraq remains fragile, in particular with regard to the actual protection of ethnic and religious minorities, and the regular use of the death penalty is a cause of concern for the EU and its Member States.

Belgium supports closer relations between the EU and Iraq. The Partnership and Cooperation Agreement (PCA) with Iraq, concluded in November 2009, was signed on 11 May 2012. Since 2005, the EUJUST LEX mission – in which Belgium is actively involved – has aimed to train prison officials, examining magistrates and Iraqi police officers.

Like other EU Member States, Belgium is very closely following developments in the situation in Iran.

The European Union and Belgium are deeply concerned about the deterioration of the human rights situation in Iran, with a high number of executions, hangings of minors, stonings, the imprisonment of dissidents and defenders of human rights and the persecution of some religious minorities, including followers of the Bahá’í faith. In response, the EU and Belgium regularly call on Iran to observe its international commitments, in particular with regard to respect for civil and political rights, and the EU and Belgium roundly condemn President Ahmadinejad’s statements about Israel and the Shoah.

Iran’s right to use nuclear technology for peaceful ends is fully recognised but there are several mutually supportive indications that the country’s nuclear programme is being pursued for military ends. If Iran had nuclear weapons, this would not only prove to be a source of major regional and international instability – it would also strike a serious blow to the objective of nuclear non-proliferation. So far, Tehran has failed to comply with any UN Security Council resolutions calling on the country to elucidate its nuclear programme and stop enriching uranium, which is one of the steps on the way to producing a nuclear weapon. Consequently, the Security Council had no option but to adopt restrictive measures against Iran, such as freezing the financial assets of Iranian companies involved in its nuclear and ballistic-missile programme and reinforcing these measures by imposing tougher restrictions when awarding visas to Iranian citizens who are participating in these programmes. The EU, which would like to see a quick diplomatic solution to the Iranian nuclear issue, has launched a twin-track policy towards Iran: dialogue if possible and pressure if necessary. In 2010, the EU tightened its restrictions vis-à-vis Iran, targeting for example the financial, energy and transport sectors.

Gulf states

Belgium has excellent relations with the countries of the Cooperation Council for the Arab States of the Gulf, also known as the Gulf Cooperation Council (GCC), comprising Bahrain, Kuwait, Oman, Qatar, Saudi Arabia and the United Arab Emirates. Many Belgian companies operate in this strategic region in a wide range of domains, such as construction, engineering, dredging, transport, medicine and consultancy.

Relations between the European Union and the GCC began with the signing of a cooperation agreement some 20 years ago.

Belgium welcomes the adoption, at the EU-GCC Ministerial Meeting of 14 June 2010, of a joint action programme (2010-2013) aiming to strengthen cooperation in various areas of common interest and the decision to continue consultations about the free-trade agreement with a view to concluding negotiations as soon as possible.

The situation in Yemen and the many challenges facing that country remain a cause for concern and focus of attention for Belgium.

Belgium, as an EU Member State, supports the Friends of Yemen initiative launched in January 2010, which aims to assist Yemen in its planned reforms by adopting a comprehensive approach.

The wave of Arab uprisings has only very slightly affected the Gulf region, where only Bahrain has been confronted with open revolt, from the Shiite segment of its population. With existing regimes particularly concerned for regional stability, the recurring tensions between Shia and Sunni Islam constitute the main threat of destabilisation.