Belgium’s Parliament Endorses Security Cooperation with Morocco

The Belgian parliament Thursday passed a bill endorsing security cooperation between Belgium and Morocco in the wake of Brussels attacks after it surfaced that Morocco helped Belgian authorities foil an IS attack against nuclear facilities in the country planned part of the Brussels terror acts.

The bill also came in the wake of an agreement signed by the two countries in February paving the way for wider collaboration in the fight against terrorism and organized crime. Both countries pledged to share intelligence while protecting personal information.

The agreement also allows both kingdoms to share best practices, trainings and technical assistance.

The endorsement of the security cooperation agreement was hailed Friday at the meeting that gathered in Brussels Belgian Interior Minister Jan Jambon and visiting Moroccan Interior Minister Mohammed Hassad and Abdellatif Hammouchi, Head of Morocco’s internal intelligence service who is also Chief of the General Directorate of National Security (DGSN.)

The Moroccan delegation’s visit was marked by the signing of a Memorandum of Understanding through which both sides pledged to enhance operational cooperation mechanisms between the security apparatus of the two countries.

Anti-terror cooperation between Morocco and Belgium was further enhanced in the wake of the November Paris attacks as King Philippe of Belgium had then called the Moroccan Sovereign requesting the help of the North African country’s intelligence services.

In recent statements to local and foreign media, the Chief of the Moroccan FBI Abdelhak Khiame had warned that Belgium was becoming “Europe’s DAECH” and that several terrorist attempts had been foiled thanks to cooperation between Moroccan and European services.