RIYADH: Members of the Shoura Council’s joint Saudi-Belgian parliamentary friendship committee, headed by council member Ayman bin Saleh Fadel, held talks recently with Jeroen Coorman, director-general of bilateral affairs at the Belgian Ministry of Foreign Affairs. The meeting took place at the ministry’s headquarters in Brussels, on the sidelines of the committee’s current visit to the European Parliament. During the meeting, Fadel highlighted the importance of strengthening and deepening bilateral relations between Saudi Arabia and Belgium, while also boosting communication between the two countries. Coorman lauded Saudi Arabia’s Vision 2030 reform program, and also highlighted the Kingdom’s status at the Islamic and Gulf levels, saying that he is “looking forward to strengthening the bilateral relations between the two countries in various fields, especially when it comes to boosting economic cooperation.” The meeting discussed subjects relating to renewable energy, reducing emissions and preserving the environment, in addition to topics concerning regional and international developments. It also looked into ways to promote cooperation in tourism between the countries and reviewed progress regarding women’s empowerment in the Kingdom. The committee met with Director of the Royal Institute for International Relations, Hugues Chantry, along with a number of officials. Committee members briefed the institute’s officials about the Kingdoms efforts in Yemen, as well as progress in the fields of digital transformation and cybersecurity. Institute officials discussed international relations-related education and training, and presented an overview of the institute’s studies and research focused on international and regional issues. The meeting was attended by the Saudi Ambassador to Belgium and the Grand Duchy of Luxembourg, Khalid bin Ibrahim Al-Jindan, along with Belgian-Saudi parliamentary friendship committee members.