Belgium and Türkiye Revive Ministerial Dialogue After Ten Years: Seven Ministers Meet in Brussels on Security, Justice and Migration
Belgium's Federal Public Service Foreign Affairs announced on October 20 that seven Belgian and Turkish ministers met that Tuesday at the Egmont Palace in Brussels, the first such ministerial meeting in ten years, building on renewed momentum in relations between the two countries. The Belgian side comprised Foreign Minister Maxime Prévot, Justice Minister Annelies Verlinden, Security and Home Affairs Minister Bernard Quintin and Asylum and Migration Minister Anneleen Van Bossuyt; Türkiye was represented by Foreign Minister Hakan Fidan, Justice Minister Akın Gürlek and Interior Minister Mustafa Çiftçi. The agenda centred on cooperation in areas that directly affect citizens, including security, justice and migration.
The Belgian Foreign Ministry described Türkiye as a strategically important partner for Europe, citing its role as a NATO ally central to Black Sea security, its contacts with both Kyiv and Moscow, and its diplomatic engagement in the Middle East and the Horn of Africa. Foreign Minister Maxime Prévot said European security cannot seriously be discussed without engaging with Türkiye. On justice and security, the ministers focused on combating terrorism and organised crime and on strengthening cooperation between judicial authorities and cross-border investigations; the meeting was also to lead to the signing of a new bilateral action plan on police cooperation, allowing faster information exchange, shared expertise and joint training. Asylum and Migration Minister Anneleen Van Bossuyt said Türkiye, located at the crossroads of several migration routes towards Europe, is an important partner for Belgium and Europe on migration.
The dialogue builds on close economic and people-to-people ties. A Belgian economic mission to Türkiye last May, led by Queen Mathilde, brought together 428 participants including representatives of 194 companies and resulted in 33 agreements between businesses. The Turkish-founded Ciner Glass group is investing more than EUR 600 million in a new glass manufacturing plant in Lommel, expected to create around 550 direct jobs. Around 270,000 people of Turkish origin live in Belgium, approximately 10,000 Belgians live in Türkiye, and some 620,000 Belgian tourists visited the country in 2025.
Source: GSM · USA (original Chinese edition)
Photo: Brussels 的 Egmont Palace，Michel wal 摄，CC BY-SA 3.0（Wikimedia Commons）
