Belgian Prime Minister Alexander De Croo was in London on Tuesday to meet with British Prime Minister Rishi Sunak at his official residence, 10 Downing Street.
The two northern European countries are currently engaged in several partnerships and initiatives, notably in the field of irregular migration, human trafficking, North Sea investments and Ukraine.
During their meeting, the heads of government reaffirmed their commitment to strengthening cooperation on Tuesday.
"Loyal allies, Belgium and the United Kingdom have enjoyed close ties for centuries," a statement from De Croo’s office read. "Trade, investment, defence, the fight against organised crime, the fight against irregular migration: in all these areas, our cooperation is more intense than ever."
First police deal since Brexit
Faced with similar challenges, Belgium and the United Kingdom are currently enjoying "unprecedented" police cooperation.
A new agreement is currently being formalised between the two covering all forms of cross-border crime. The deal also marks the UK’s first law enforcement cooperation agreement with an EU Member State since Brexit. While still in the process of being finalised, it aims to improve cross-border surveillance, data collection and sharing, and encourage UK and Belgian teams to jointly tackle serious and organised threats.
Credit: Belga / Dirk Waem
"Great sign of our partnership is the first of a kind law enforcement cooperation which will be concluded soon," De Croo wrote on social media after the meeting. "In a turbulent world, we need to work together."
In the fight against irregular migration, Belgium and the UK will intensify the exchange of expertise and intelligence.
'Green Powerhouse of Europe'
The UK will deploy its new cutting-edge technologies to detect and dismantle human smuggling and trafficking networks. The two countries also pledged to fight against the exploitation of social media for criminal and trafficking purposes.
The two also discussed plans for the North Sea's potential for offshore energy. Last year's North Sea Summit in Ostend compounded Belgium's shared ambition with the UK to make the North Sea the "Green Powerhouse of Europe".
On Tuesday, the two leaders again stressed the importance of jointly extending support to the transition of an integrated offshore North Sea energy network, "which will contribute to the transition to a cleaner, more stable and secure energy system in both countries," De Croo said.
The Prime Ministers also discussed Russia's invasion of Ukraine, the importance of maintaining long-term support for Ukraine and how frozen Russian assets could be used to fund the reconstruction of Ukraine.
On Gaza, they discussed the urgent need to improve the delivery of aid to the besieged enclave, as well as the importance of a political plan to contribute to the long-term security and stability of Israel and Palestine.
The two leaders condemned the attacks launched by the Houthis against commercial vessels as a threat to international shipping, and agreed on the need for international action to protect the Red Sea.
