Quebec is one of the ten provinces of the Federal State of Canada. The official language is French. Quebec was one of the first partners with whom Flanders established bilateral relations. The cooperation between both regions originates in the parallels between the status of Quebec within Canada, and that of Flanders in Belgium. From the outset, language and culture assumed an important role within relations.
In the early 1980s, an agreement on scientific cooperation was signed and, in 1989, the first joint common agreement was concluded. These were renewed in 2013 and 2002 respectively. The concrete implementation of the joint agreement was expressed through a three-year programme where cooperation was seen in all kinds of fields, such as culture, local government, maritime transport and logistics, education, academic exchange, and the environment.
From an economic point of view, Quebec is also an important trading partner. In September 2016, the Flemish Government gave their approval for the signing of the European Free Trade and Investment Treaty with Canada, in which Quebec played a leading role. For Flanders, the most important economic sectors in Quebec are the pharmaceutical industry and biotechnology, the aerospace industry, green technology, ICT and multimedia. The Flemish economic representative in Montreal takes care of economic interests.
There are no figures for trade between Flanders and Quebec. These are included in the global figures for trade with Canada.