Relationship dossier
Belgium
United States
Relationship assessment
A durable NATO partnership, with cooperation on security alongside occasional policy differences.
Belgium toward United States
+55Belgium has contributed forces to NATO operations, including the mission in Afghanistan, cooperating with the United States through the alliance. Belgium opposed the U.S.-led invasion of Iraq in 2003, showing that the partnership does not eliminate differences over military intervention.
United States toward Belgium
+55The United States works with Belgium through NATO, whose headquarters are located in Brussels, and through bilateral security and law-enforcement cooperation. This cooperation is part of a sustained allied relationship, though the two governments have differed over particular military interventions.
Overall relationship
+60The relationship is anchored in sustained NATO cooperation and practical security ties. Belgian participation in alliance missions and the U.S.-Belgian security partnership support a close overall assessment, while Belgium’s opposition to the 2003 Iraq invasion illustrates a significant but issue-specific disagreement.
How to read these scores
Scores are rough judgments, not objective measurements or current verification. Directional scores describe government policy and conduct, not public opinion. The overall score is an independent estimate, never an average.
- −100
- Extreme sustained hostility
- −50
- Substantially adversarial
- 0
- Mixed or neutral, supported by knowledge
- +50
- Substantially cooperative
- +100
- Exceptionally close sustained partnership
“Not assessed” means there is no recorded score. Pair existence makes no claim about diplomatic recognition or established relations.
Relationship context
Overview
Belgium and the United States have a durable security partnership through NATO, including Belgian participation in alliance operations and the alliance’s headquarters in Brussels. The countries also cooperate on counterterrorism and law enforcement. Their policies have not always aligned: Belgium opposed the 2003 invasion of Iraq, a prominent difference within the broader partnership.
Areas of tension
- Belgium opposed the U.S.-led invasion of Iraq in 2003.
Key developments
NATO established its headquarters in Brussels, placing Belgium at the center of the alliance through which it cooperates with the United States.
Belgium contributed forces to the NATO-led mission in Afghanistan.
Belgium opposed the U.S.-led invasion of Iraq.
Major uncertainties
- The scale and continuity of specific bilateral law-enforcement and counterterrorism initiatives are unclear.
- The practical extent of Belgian support for future U.S.-led security operations may vary by government and mission.