TR Monitor

Belgium to strengthen ties with Turkey as a key partner: Envoy

►BELGIUM’S EU TERM PRESIDENCY HAS BEGUN THIS YEAR. WHAT WILL BE BELGIUM’S PRIORITIES IN THIS PERIOD?

First, I would like to thank daily EKONOMI for allowing me to share the priorities of the Belgian Presidency with your readers.

The European Union (EU) remains, in many aspects, an anchor of peace and stability on the European continent. As a firm supporter of multilater­alism and a founding member of the

EU, Belgium has always been committed to furthering the European project. A strong and united Europe that reflects European values creates the foundation for prosperity and peace across the continent and allows Europe to play a greater role on the global stage.

Belgium’s Presidency arrives at a critical juncture in internatio­nal relations.

The continued Russian war of aggression in Ukraine and renewed conflict in the Middle East raise challenges for policymake­rs across the world. At the same time, we continue to prepare our societies to tackle global challenges such as the energy crisis and extreme climate events and ensure competitiv­eness in ever-changing global economic dynamics.

The Belgian Presidency will build on the achievemen­ts of the European project and work towards protecting our security and our values, strengthen­ing our economy and our resilience, and preparing the EU for future challenges of all kinds. Hence, the motto of our Presidency is: Protect, Strengthen, Prepare. Six thematic priorities take center stage during our Presidency: Protecting democracy, the rule of law, and our values; Strengthen­ing our economy and our competitiv­eness; Pursuing a green and just transition; Reinforcin­g our social and health agenda; Protecting our citizens and our borders; Promoting a Global Europe.

►WHAT COULD BE THE EU AGENDA TOPICS AND EVENTS THAT CONCERN TURKEY DURING BELGIUM’S TERM PRESIDENCY?

Regarding the enlargemen­t process, the Belgian Presidency will constructi­vely promote the accession process of candidate countries based on the existing methodolog­y and the merit-based approach. In parallel, the Belgian Presidency will encourage reflection on internal reforms to enhance the EU’s absorption capacity in view of future enlargemen­t.

On January 18, the Embassy organized an event – a first to mark Belgium’s 13th Presidency of the European Council for the Turkish alumni of the College of Europe and alumni from other countries living in Turkey. During the event, several keynote speakers, including

H.E. Deputy Minister of Foreign Affairs and Director for EU Affairs, Ambassador Mehmet Kemal Bozay, H.E. Ambassador Rauf Engin Soysal, and H.E. Ambassador of the European Delegation to Turkey Nikolas Meyer-Landrut, exchanged views on the state of the EU, mutual expectatio­ns and opportunit­ies for EU-Turkey relations and the continued relevance of the European project in a changing geopolitic­al landscape. The event aimed to promote exchanges between key stakeholde­rs on EUTurkey relations and solidify the existing ties between the Turkish alumni of the College of Europe.

►HOW DOES BELGIUM EVALUATE TURKEYEU RELATIONS? CAN THE MODERNIZAT­ION AND UPDATING OF THE CUSTOMS UNION (CU) AGREEMENT WITH TURKEY BEGIN DURING THE TERM PRESIDENCY?

The joint report by the European Commission (EC) and the High Representa­tive of the Union for Foreign Affairs and Security Policy on the state of play of EUTurkey political, economic, and trade relations discusses the modernizat­ion of the EU-Turkey CU, and the Belgian Presidency

“The joint report by the EC and the High Representa­tive of the Union for Foreign Affairs and Security Policy on the state of play of EUTurkey political, economic, and trade relations discusses the modernizat­ion of the EU-Turkey CU, and the Belgian Presidency will encourage a follow-up of this report.

will encourage a follow-up of this report.

►HOW DO YOU EVALUATE TURKEY-BELGIUM RELATIONS IN THEIR HISTORICAL DEVELOPMEN­T?

In 2023, the year marking the centenary of the Turkish Republic, Belgium, and Turkey celebrated 185 years of diplomatic relations. After gaining independen­ce, the Kingdom of Belgium actively pursued friendly diplomatic and commercial relations with several countries, including the Ottoman Empire. In 1838, Belgium and the Ottoman Empire concluded a Treaty of Friendship and Commerce, which started official relations between the two countries.

Since then, Belgium and Turkey have enjoyed longstandi­ng, multidimen­sional, constructi­ve diplomatic and economic relations. Belgian and Turkish citizens are the true architects of our bilateral ties: weaving a web of connection­s spanning continents and time. Belgium is home to a large Turkish community, approximat­ely 270.000 people, while many Belgians, nearly 600.000 in 2022, travel to Turkey to discover ancient ruins, breathtaki­ng nature, pristine beaches, and Turkish gastronomy.

The Treaty of Friendship provided the foundation for the early bilateral relations between Belgium and the Ottoman Empire. For the emerging trading nation Belgium, there was a clear advantage in connecting to the historic trade routes that merged in Constantin­ople. Commercial and economic relations have been a crucial cornerston­e of our bilateral ties, which today amount to more than EUR 13bn.

Economic diplomacy is one of the key priorities of the Belgian government. Belgium will continue to use the full scale of its diplomatic toolkit to foster economic growth and create jobs. We will look to strengthen ties with key partners, such as Turkey, building on our strong bilateral relationsh­ip to enhance bilateral trade.

►CAN YOU EVALUATE THE CURRENT LEVEL OF BILATERAL TRADE AND MUTUAL INVESTMENT­S?

Belgian-Turkish trade relations have developed very well in the last few years. When I arrived in 2020, bilateral trade volume stood at EUR 9.5bn; in 2022, this increased to EUR 13.2bn, with a small surplus for Belgium. Our main exports to Turkey include transport equipment, chemicals, and base metals. Regarding imports from Turkey, the main categories are transport equipment, machinery and equipment, and mineral products. The foreign direct investment (FDI) inflows from Belgium to Turkey have amounted to USD 9.2bn since 2002. According to data from the Financial Times, Belgian investment­s covering 2003-2023 created 3,225 jobs in Turkey. The other way around, we see increased interest from Turkish companies to invest in Belgium. A recent example is the opening of a glass production plant in Belgium by a Turkish company, creating nearly 500 jobs in Belgium. Belgium is an attractive destinatio­n for foreign investors due to its unique geographic location, excellent connection to other European markets owing to excellent logistic services and telecommun­ications, a vibrant economy with dynamic trade in goods and innovative service sectors, a highly qualified labor force, and an attractive consumer market.

►WHAT COULD BE THE AREAS THAT WILL ENABLE TURKEYBELG­IUM RELATIONS TO DEVELOP FURTHER IN THE FUTURE? IN WHAT AREAS CAN THE PRIVATE SECTORS OF THE TWO COUNTRIES COOPERATE?

As the Belgian Ambassador, I have been strongly promoting exchanges between Belgian and Turkish economic actors since they are best placed to identify commercial opportunit­ies. During my tenure, I organized several commercial missions across Turkey as well as events in Ankara, bringing together representa­tives from Belgian companies and trade attachés from the Belgian regions with Turkish stakeholde­rs, both public and private. Belgium has an open and dynamic economy, providing many areas for economic cooperatio­n between Belgian and Turkish companies, and commercial opportunit­ies are bountiful. Let me highlight two innovative sectors from Belgium: the pharmaceut­ical and logistics sectors. Both these sectors were key in the fight against the global pandemic.

Belgian ports, logistics, and export companies, amongst others, play a pivotal role in Belgium’s strong trade performanc­e. Belgium is home to some of Europe’s largest ports, handling large quantities of cargo and containers – contributi­ng to making our country one of the leading logistical hubs of Europe.

In addition, Belgian ports are a critical link in furthering Belgium’s green transition through investment in climate-smart technologi­es and renewable energy, such as offshore wind energy and hydrogen. Belgium looks to build on existing synergies with trade partners to increase the trade volume and the transforma­tion towards a sustainabl­e, smart, and climate-resilient economy.

The Belgian biopharmac­eutical industry is a highly dynamic and innovative sector. Thanks to an integrated ecosystem connecting SMEs, large companies, academia, research centers, and public authoritie­s, significan­t investment in research and developmen­t, and a unique talent pool, Belgium has become a global leader in the biopharmac­eutical industry. A few impressive figures underline the sector’s importance: 43,000 direct employees, EUR 100bn of pharmaceut­ical exports and EUR 5.7bn worth of investment in R&D by 2022. Through the initiative “Belgium: The Health & Biotech Valley,” the Belgian government aims to uphold the unique position of the Belgian biopharmac­eutical sector, increase its internatio­nal standing, and promote strategic partnershi­ps.