Turkish Foreign Minister Hakan Fidan has held a meeting with Belgium's Deputy Prime Minister and Minister of Foreign Affairs Maxime Prevot in Ankara to discuss bilateral cooperation and regional security.
Operative Information Center-OMM reports, citing international media outlets, that the meeting took place within the framework of the Belgian Economic Mission's official visit to Turkey.
According to a joint statement from the Turkish and Belgian foreign ministries, the delegation, led by Queen Mathilde on behalf of King Philippe of Belgium, is visiting Istanbul and Ankara from May 10–14. During the visit, Queen Mathilde was received in Istanbul by Turkish President Recep Tayyip Erdogan and First Lady Emine Erdogan. The discussions focused on expanding cooperation in strategic sectors, including energy, the defense industry, logistics, digital transformation, aviation, space, and pharmaceuticals.
The mission includes over 400 representatives from Belgian federal and regional institutions, private companies, chambers of commerce, and academic circles. Several agreements and memoranda of understanding were signed between the parties, covering the defense industry, social security, mobility, and agri-food security. Both sides emphasized their intent to strengthen cooperation on regional and global issues as NATO allies, while also highlighting the importance of Turkey-EU relations and the modernization of the Customs Union.
This high-level diplomatic engagement underscores the growing economic ties between Turkey and Belgium, two key members of the North Atlantic Alliance. Belgium remains one of Turkey's significant trading partners within the European Union, and such missions serve to bridge industrial gaps in high-tech sectors. The inclusion of a large academic and business contingent reflects a long-term strategy to integrate Turkish and Belgian supply chains in the post-pandemic global economy.
