New Delhi, Sep 3 (PTI) India and Belgium on Thursday agreed to expand defence cooperation by signing a range of pacts, with Prime Minister Narendra Modi and his Belgian counterpart Bart De Wever identifying trade and investment, critical minerals, high technologies, and semiconductors as key drivers to bolster ties in the face of a fragmented global geopolitical environment.
After wide-ranging talks between the two leaders, Modi highlighted India’s 7.8 per cent economic growth in the last quarter and framed the country’s rise as a source of confidence and new opportunities for the world.
The two countries inked five agreements, including one on boosting defence ties and another on the renewable energy sector, besides setting a target of doubling the volume of annual bilateral trade in the next five years.
At present, the two-way trade stands at USD 13 billion. An Investment Fast-Track Mechanism is being set up to promote Belgian investments in India. A separate Memorandum of Understanding (MoU) was firmed up between the Central Bureau of Investigation (CBI) and the Belgium Federal Police on cooperation in combating transnational organised crime, cybercrime and related matters.
“Today, the world is going through a period of great upheaval. Conflicts continue to persist in many parts of the world. Whether it is food, fuel, or supply chains, every sector is being impacted by uncertainty,” Modi said.
“In this challenging environment, India’s economy has maintained its momentum. We recorded 7.8 per cent growth in the last quarter. Today, India’s growth story is becoming a source of confidence and new opportunities for the world,” he added.
The Belgian prime minister described the conclusion of the India-European Union free trade pact as a major milestone and said New Delhi and Brussels are building a relationship that is broad and more strategic than ever before.
De Weve said Belgium wants to take ties with India to “another level — economically, politically, but also strategically”.
“We live in a more fragmented and uncertain world. We talked about this a lot. Prosperity and security increasingly go hand in hand, and our relationship has already deep roots,” he said.
While underlining the importance of boosting trade, the two leaders called for timely implementation of the India-European Union free trade agreement to realise the true potential of business and investment collaboration.
The two prime ministers, delving into pressing geo-political issues, called for resolution of the conflicts in Ukraine and West Asia through dialogue and diplomacy, in accordance with the principles of the UN Charter and international law.
On the margins of the Modi-De Wever talks, 10 agreements on collaboration between the Belgian and Indian defence industry were firmed up. Some of the pacts will provide for joint production of military hardware, using Belgian military technology, such as rockets in India.
In line with the deepening defence ties, New Delhi announced the appointment of a resident defence attache at its embassy in Brussels. A decision was also made to soon conclude a migration and mobility agreement.
A joint statement said Modi and De Wever welcomed the steady expansion of bilateral economic ties and the growing diversification of sectors in bilateral trade, and expressed their determination to further strengthen cooperation across key sectors of shared interest.
Modi described the defence and security cooperation between the two countries as a “key pillar” of the overall relationship.
“Today, we agreed to enhance military exchanges and training cooperation between the two countries. The agreements between our governments and defence industries will open up new opportunities for defence co-development and co-production,” he said.
“We will also further strengthen intelligence sharing and cooperation between our agencies in combating crime,” Modi noted.
The prime minister said people-to-people ties between the two nations are the “greatest strength” of the engagement, adding both sides agreed to strengthen connections between start-ups and to enhance capacity building in the maritime sector.
“We will also strengthen university and research cooperation. And, to facilitate talent mobility, we will soon conclude a ‘Migration and Mobility Partnership Agreement’,” he said.
The prime minister said India and Belgium are committed to eradicating every form of terrorism.
Modi listed the priorities of the two countries to expand cooperation in areas of high technology and clean energy.
“A clean energy future and reliable supply chain are our shared priorities. An MoU signed today on renewable energy will give new momentum to our sustainability cooperation,” he said.
“In critical minerals, we have decided to increase cooperation in processing and recycling. In semiconductors, Belgium’s expertise and India’s scale are complementary to each other,” he added.
In the talks, Belgium reaffirmed its support for India’s candidature for permanent membership of a reformed and expanded United Nations Security Council.
In the context of defence ties, Belgium is understood to have conveyed to the Indian side that it will not supply critical military hardware to Pakistan.
De Wever’s trip builds on the Belgian Economic Mission to India that was led by Princess Astrid in March last year. Around 40 agreements were signed during the visit of the Belgian Economic Mission.
India and Belgium share historical ties spanning over three centuries. Belgium was among the first European countries to establish diplomatic relations with independent India, in September 1947.
Belgium is an important economic partner for India in Europe. Bilateral trade reached USD 13.01 billion in 2025-26. Diamond trade, with Antwerp as a major global diamond hub, remains a significant component of bilateral commerce. Belgium is also an important source of investment in India. FDI inflows from Belgium amounted to approximately USD 4.2 billion between April 2000 and December 2025.
In July, India and Belgium further strengthened their political engagement by establishing a new ministerial-level strategic dialogue. The inaugural Belgium-India strategic dialogue was held in Brussels on July 15 and it was co-chaired by External Affairs Minister S Jaishankar and Belgian Deputy Prime Minister Maxime Prevot.
The dialogue provides a new institutional framework for advancing bilateral cooperation and discussing regional and global issues. India and Belgium have developed cooperation in renewable energy, clean technologies and sustainability. Belgian company John Cockerill is building an electrolyzer production facility in Kakinada, with an expected capacity of 2 GW.
Belgium’s position as a major European maritime and logistics hub provides opportunities for cooperation in ports, shipping and supply chains. PTI MPB SAP SAP SAP SAP
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