Morocco and Belgium strengthen anti-terrorist cooperation

Abdellatif Hammouchi, Director General of the Moroccan Directorate General of National Security and Territorial Surveillance (DGSN-DGST), met with Francisca Bostyn, Director General of Belgian State Security, to explore new avenues of collaboration in the fight against terrorism. 

In this regard, a statement from the DGSN reported that the Belgian Director General of State Security is leading an important high-level delegation on a visit to Morocco, which aims to address various issues of mutual interest to both countries. 

During the meeting, Bostyn highlighted Morocco's valuable contribution and efforts in the fight against terrorism and extremism, expressing Belgium's commitment to strengthen and expand this cooperation, in order to mitigate the risks that threaten the security of both countries.

In addition, Hammouchi and Bostyn discussed the need to expand the areas of bilateral cooperation between the security agencies of the two countries, with the aim of facilitating the exchange of intelligence and sharing experiences in the field of security. 

This meeting is part of a series of bilateral meetings that Hammouchi has held with his international counterparts, with the aim of strengthening cooperation on internal security and addressing emerging threats. 

Hammouchi has on several occasions underlined Morocco's key role in promoting regional peace and security, highlighting its contribution during his participation in high-level local and international security symposia.  

In September, Hammouchi participated in Interpol's eighth meeting for security and police chiefs from the MENA region, where Morocco's national security services had the opportunity to share their experience in combating emerging crimes at the regional level. 

The meeting also provided a platform to address new security challenges in the region, such as the fight against organised crime, the flow of illicit funding, online recruitment, rapid radicalisation and the growing risk of terrorist attacks using drones. 

Morocco's role in the fight against terrorism has been widely recognised in various reports and by prestigious organisations, including NATO and Interpol. 

In May, Interpol highlighted Morocco's efforts in the fight against terrorism, noting that the country is involved in 20 key global security operations. International recognition of its work earned Morocco the Interpol vice-presidency for Africa. 

This nomination reflects Interpol's confidence in Morocco to ensure security and stability both regionally and internationally, while continuing to take the lead in promoting South-South cooperation in the field of security. 

In October, Javier Colomina, NATO's Special Representative of the Secretary General for the Southern Neighbourhood, called Morocco an ‘indispensable actor’ in security cooperation.