DR ‹ › On Monday in Brussels, Morocco's Justice Minister Abdellatif Ouahbi engaged in discussions with his Belgian counterpart, Annelies Verlinden, focusing on advancing the legal and judicial collaboration between their nations. During their meeting, the ministers underscored the robust nature of their bilateral partnership and reaffirmed their dedication to enhancing judicial cooperation to uphold the rule of law and tackle contemporary challenges. The dialogue also stressed the necessity of intensifying efforts against organized crime, with particular attention to transnational criminal networks, illicit trafficking, and money laundering. They reviewed existing mutual legal assistance (MLA) agreements, considering updates to improve their effectiveness and expedite the processing of judicial requests. In conjunction with these discussions, the Justice Ministries of Morocco and Belgium signed a two-year joint action plan. This plan outlines a comprehensive program of collaborative activities designed to bolster legal and judicial cooperation across various domains. The plan includes developing judicial cooperation mechanisms, especially in criminal matters, supporting joint initiatives to combat organized and cross-border crime, and sharing expertise. Moreover, it focuses on enhancing training programs and skills development for justice professionals, as well as improving coordination mechanisms related to the transfer of convicted individuals and the execution of judicial decisions. Present at these discussions were Morocco's ambassador to Belgium and the Grand Duchy of Luxembourg, Mohammed Amer, the Morocco-Belgium liaison judge, Imane El Malki, and the director of criminal affairs and pardons at the Ministry of Justice, Hicham Mellati.
