Morocco and Belgium agree on need for permanent consultations on religion
Morocco-Belgium, Politics, 2/16/2005

Moroccan minister of Habous (religious endowments) and Islamic affairs, Ahmed Toufiq, and Belgian foreign minister, Karel de Gucht, agreed this Tuesday in a meeting here on the need to set up a framework of permanent consultation on the Muslim religion in Belgium.

The two ministers who held a meeting in the Belgian capital stressed that the formal framework has not yet been defined but there was agreement on the need to establish a frequency for the two countries to consult on religious problems.

These problems, explained the Moroccan official, are not only about religion management but also about various aspects of bilateral cooperation, since the Belgium-based community has a set of values that need to be understood and developed. Taoufiq also stressed Morocco's readiness to bring its contribution to promote a better understanding of the Moroccan values.

The head of the Belgian diplomacy also agreed that there is a crucial need for a permanent framework of dialogue, stressing that he discussed with the Moroccan official means to draw on the Moroccan experience in Islamic affairs to manage the Muslim religion in the European country.

The Moroccan official visit to Belgium is taking place at a time Belgium is poised to conduct an unprecedented restructuring of the Muslim religion, including the recognition of mosques, financing worshipping sites and training imams.

The Moroccan minister of Islamic affairs also held talks with local officials in Belgium

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