New Delhi: India and Belgium signed deals to deepen defence and clean-energy ties and agreed to double bilateral trade within five years as PM Modi held talks with Belgian counterpart Bart De Wever, the first Belgian PM to visit India in nearly two decades, reports Sachin Parashar.Following the talks, Modi pitched India’s 7.8% growth in the last quarter as an opportunity for the world. In a joint statement with De Wever, Modi said global conflicts were causing major upheaval, disrupting food, fuel and supply chains, and creating uncertainty across sectors.“Today, India’s growth story is becoming a source of confidence and new opportunities for the world,” said Modi.PM Narendra Modi announced a mechanism to fast-track investment between the two countries.Belgium accounted for $4.2bn of FDI inflows from April 2000 to Dec 2025, making it the 18th-largest source of FDI into India. De Wever’s visit resulted in 10 major outcomes — five MoUs, including two to boost indigenous defence manufacturing, co-design and co-development, and another five announcements, including appointment of a defence attache in Indian embassy in Brussels.Asked whether there was any discussion on pending extradition of fugitive Mehul Choksi, who remains in a Belgium jail, MEA secretary Sibi George said law enforcement cooperation was an “important topic of discussion and an important aspect of the relationship with Belgium”.“All issues of concern and interest are discussed at all levels of our engagement … India remains committed to ensuring that fugitives are brought back to the country to face the law,” he added.Modi said ties with Belgium had expanded beyond traditional sectors. “Defence and security cooperation is a key pillar of our relationship. Today, we agreed to enhance military exchanges and training cooperation between the two countries,” said the PM. “The agreements between our govts and defence industries will open up opportunities for defence co-development and co-production. We will also further strengthen intelligence sharing and cooperation between our agencies to combat crime,” he added.PM said unprecedented cooperation, including the recently concluded FTA between India and EU – two of the world’s largest democratic blocs – would give a boost to global stability, development and shared prosperity.The leaders also discussed Ukraine and West Asia, underlining their support for the rule of law, dialogue and diplomacy. In a joint statement, they stressed the importance of ensuring the safety and security of maritime routes and maintaining safe and unimpeded maritime shipping.“Whether it is Ukraine or West Asia, we support all efforts aimed at an early end to conflicts and the restoration of peace,” the PM added.The leaders called for closer partnerships in semiconductor technologies to create resilient and advanced technology ecosystems in both countries, with Modi saying that Belgium’s expertise in semiconductors and India’s scale complement each other.
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The two leaders agreed to soon conclude a migration and mobility agreement to facilitate talent mobility.Belgium also expressed solidarity with India in the fight against terrorism. De Wever condemned the attack on civilians at Pahalgam in April 2025. “Both leaders underscored their commitment to a comprehensive/global approach to counterterrorism and affirmed that terrorism, in any form and manifestation and anywhere, could never be justified and called for its perpetrators to be held accountable in accordance with the law,” said the statement.The leaders also focused on clean energy, critical minerals and reliable supply chains. “The MoU on Renewable Energy signed today will give momentum to our sustainability cooperation. In critical minerals, we have decided to enhance ties in processing & recycling,” PM said.
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