By: State Correspondents Published: 03/09/2026 Location: New Delhi
NEW DELHI: India and Belgium on Thursday vowed to expand bilateral cooperation across trade, defence, critical minerals, clean energy, and technologies following comprehensive talks between Prime Minister Narendra Modi and his Belgian counterpart Bart De Wever.
In his media statement, Modi highlighted India’s 7.8 per cent economic expansion in the last quarter, framing the country’s trajectory as a cornerstone of stability amid global uncertainty.
“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. 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.”
— Prime Minister Narendra Modi
Belgian Prime Minister Bart De Wever hailed the conclusion of the India-European Union free trade agreement as a landmark milestone, emphasizing that New Delhi and Brussels are forging an engagement that is far broader and more strategic than ever before.
Major Strategic Takeaways
- Defence & Security: Expansion of military exchanges, intelligence sharing, and joint defence co-development and co-production.
- Talent Mobility: Plans to finalize a formal ‘Migration and Mobility Partnership Agreement’.
- High Technology & Minerals: Joint efforts in semiconductor technology, processing, and recycling of critical minerals.
- Clean Energy: Implementation of a bilateral MoU on renewable energy, including John Cockerill’s 2 GW electrolyzer unit in Kakinada.
Highlighting defence and security cooperation as a “key pillar” of the bilateral relationship, PM Modi announced new avenues for direct collaboration between domestic industries and armed forces.
“Agreements between our governments and defence industries will open up new opportunities for defence co-development and co-production. We will also further strengthen intelligence sharing and cooperation between our agencies in combating crime,” Modi said.
Addressing global flashpoints, the prime minister reiterated India’s principled stance on 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 asserted, adding that both partners remain steadfast in eradicating terrorism in all manifestations.
On the economic front, bilateral trade reached USD 13.01 billion in 2025-26, supported heavily by the diamond trade via Antwerp. With cumulative FDI inflows from Belgium touching approximately USD 4.2 billion between 2000 and 2025, both prime ministers agreed to leverage Belgium’s logistics infrastructure and India’s manufacturing base to secure resilient global supply chains.
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