(Communicated by the Foreign Ministry Spokesman)
During the visit to Belgium by Deputy Prime Minister and Foreign Minister Silvan Shalom (13-14 December 2004), the foreign ministers of Israel and Belgium signed a Bilateral Agreement between the Government of the State of Israel and the Government of the Kingdom of Belgium on the Provision of Mutual Administrative Assistance in Custom Matters.
The purpose of the agreement, signed on 14 December 2004, is to organize cooperation between the customs authorities of Israel and Belgium, in order to operate more effectively against customs violations.
The cooperation includes, inter alia, the sharing of information between the respective authorities concerning methods of enforcing customs laws and methods used to commit customs violations, as well as concrete information regarding specific persons or goods suspected of involvement in such violations. At the same time, the passing on of information will be subject to internal Israeli law and will be limited to information that does not harm Israeli security, political issues or public regulations.
During Foreign Minister Shalom's visit to Belgium, he met with Prime Minister Guy Verhofstadt (13 December) and Foreign Minister Karel de Gucht (14 December). The meetings, which took place in a friendly and pleasant atmosphere, constitute an additional step in the improved relations that the two states have enjoyed over the past year.
The Belgian Prime Minister announced during the meeting that he plans to attend the dedication of the new wing of Yad Vashem in March 2005. The Belgian Foreign Minister was invited to visit Israel at the beginning of 2005.