Belgian Embassy in Morocco Celebrates National Day, Highlights Strong Bilateral Ties

The Belgian Embassy in Morocco marked Belgium's National Day on July 21, an occasion commemorating the 1831 constitutional oath of King Leopold I. The event, held at the Belgian ambassador's residence in Rabat, was attended by Moroccan officials and foreign diplomats. Attendees underscored the robust bilateral ties between Morocco and Belgium, built on mutual trust, economic collaboration, and the vital role of the Moroccan diaspora in Belgium as a bridge for human connection and cultural exchange.

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The history of July 21 commemorates the oath of Leopold de Saxe-Coburg-Gotha in 1831, as the first king of the Belgians. This solemn moment in Brussels, with speeches in Parliament and military parades, is usually followed by popular celebrations where members of the royal family meet the Belgian people in an atmosphere of joy and happiness.

Belgian Ambassador to Morocco, Gilles Heyvaert, noted that July 21 honors the first King of the Belgians. He described the day's traditional ceremonies in Brussels, including parliamentary addresses and military parades, followed by public celebrations where the royal family mingles with citizens. Heyvaert highlighted the "extremely positive dynamic" in Belgian-Moroccan relations, characterized by multifaceted and satisfactory cooperation in economic and social integration, particularly for youth and women. He also cited satisfaction with judicial, security, and defense collaboration.

Heyvaert further mentioned recent high-level visits, including Morocco hosting the Belgian Foreign Minister in early March and the Justice Minister in June. He described economic and trade relations as "extremely positive" and anticipated their strengthening next year with a major joint economic mission in April. The ambassador emphasized that this favorable climate supports Belgium's positive stance on resolving the Sahara conflict within the framework of the Moroccan autonomy initiative under UN auspices, a position reaffirmed by the Foreign Minister in March.

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Belgian-Moroccan relations are witnessing an extremely positive dynamic, with multifaceted and fully satisfactory cooperation in economic and social integration, particularly for youth and women; judicial, security, and defense cooperation is also fully satisfactory.

Moroccan Minister of Justice, Abdellatif Ouahbi, speaking at the event, praised Belgium as a friendly nation with a long-standing, strong relationship with Morocco, grounded in noble human values. He stated that the two kingdoms have built a partnership based on trust, mutual respect, and a continuous will to progress. Ouahbi attributed the relationship's strength to the friendship and esteem between King Mohammed VI and King Philippe, whose vision and commitment continuously foster closer ties. He noted the positive dynamic, evidenced by regular political consultations and expanding bilateral cooperation across various fields.

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This favorable climate greatly facilitates the positive evolution of the Belgian position on October 23, 2025, which was reaffirmed by the Minister of Foreign Affairs last March, in favor of resolving the dispute over the Sahara within the framework of the Moroccan initiative for autonomy under the auspices of the United Nations.

Ouahbi pointed to the joint declaration signed in October 2022 as a significant milestone, establishing an ambitious roadmap for enhanced cooperation in political, economic, judicial, security, territorial, and migration matters. He added that this ambition has rapidly translated into tangible achievements, citing the visit of Deputy Prime Minister and Minister of Foreign Affairs, Maxime Prévot, to Morocco as confirmation of both governments' desire to sustain this momentum and deepen dialogue. The minister also noted that the relationship is supported by cultural ties.

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The occasion of celebrating the Belgian National Day is an opportunity to praise a friendly country with which Morocco shares a long-standing, strong relationship, full of noble human values; over the years, the two kingdoms have managed to build a partnership based on trust, mutual respect, and a continuous will to move forward.