Union Minister of Commerce and Industry Piyush Goyal meets Belgian Prime Minister Bart De Wever at the Port of Antwerp-Bruges event in Mumbai on September 4, 2026. Photo: X/@MEAIndia via ANI

India and Belgium on Thursday (September 3, 2026) vowed to expand cooperation in trade, defence, critical minerals, clean energy and technologies following Prime Minister Narendra Modi’s wide-ranging talks with his Belgian counterpart Bart De Wever.

In his media statement, Mr. Modi highlighted India’s 7.8% economic growth in the last quarter and framed the country’s rise as a source of confidence and new opportunities for the world.

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.

“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,” Mr. Modi said.

“In this challenging environment, India’s economy has maintained its momentum. We recorded 7.8% growth in the last quarter. Today, India’s growth story is becoming a source of confidence and new opportunities for the world,” he added.

Mr. 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,” Mr. 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.

Mr. Modi once again pitched for resolving the conflicts in Ukraine and West Asia through dialogue and diplomacy.

“India and Belgium, both believe in the rule of law, dialogue, and diplomacy. Be it Ukraine or West Asia, we support all efforts for the early end of conflicts and for peace,” he said.

The Prime Minister said India and Belgium are committed to eradicating every form of terrorism.

Mr. 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.

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.

De Wever’s visit will also reinforce Belgium’s important role in strengthening India-EU relations, said an official.

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 $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 $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.

Published – September 03, 2026 04:07 pm IST