India-Belgium Joint Statement on Prime Minister De Wever's Visit
At the invitation of Prime Minister Narendra Modi, the Prime Minister of the Kingdom of Belgium, H.E. Mr. Bart De Wever, is on an official visit to India from 2-4 September 2026, accompanied by Belgium's Minister of Defence and Foreign Trade, H.E. Mr. Theo Francken, and a high-level delegation of officials and business leaders. This is Prime Minister De Wever's first visit to India since taking office in February 2025. The visit included bilateral talks between the two leaders, covering the full spectrum of the relationship between the two countries.
The two leaders recalled that Belgium was among the first European countries to establish diplomatic relations with India in 1947 and expressed their desire for further expanding and deepening this multifaceted relationship, with the 80th anniversary of Belgium-India diplomatic relations in 2027 providing another historical occasion to celebrate. Both leaders welcomed the launch of the inaugural India-Belgium Strategic Dialogue in Brussels on 15 July 2026, co-chaired by External Affairs Minister of India and Deputy Prime Minister and Minister of Foreign Affairs of Belgium, which has established a regular mechanism to advance cooperation across trade and investment, green transition, technology, connectivity, defence, security, and people-to-people ties.
Economic and Trade Cooperation
The two Prime Ministers reaffirmed the centrality of the India-EU Strategic Partnership to India-Belgium relations and welcomed the successful conclusion of negotiations for the India-EU Free Trade Agreement during the India-EU Summit on 27 January 2026. They called for the conclusion of the negotiations on the EU-India Investment Protection Agreement and the Agreement on Geographical Indications at the earliest opportunity. The Leaders called for the FTA's timely implementation for realizing the true potential for trade and investment collaboration through diversifying critical value chains and opening new markets.
With Belgium as the 24th biggest economy in the world and India's ambition to become a USD 10 trillion economy, both leaders acknowledged abundant opportunities for mutually beneficial partnerships and expressed their determination to further strengthen cooperation across key sectors of shared interest, with a view to enabling the doubling of bilateral trade in the next 5 years. They noted the successful Belgian Economic Mission to India in March 2025, led by Her Royal Highness Princess Astrid, as an important milestone in advancing bilateral economic engagement and expanding cooperation in priority sectors including life sciences, pharmaceuticals, healthcare, energy, renewable energy, defence, aeronautics, space, logistics, transport, ports, cleantech, green engineering, chemistry, advanced materials, manufacturing, digital technologies, and innovation.
The two leaders welcomed the launch of the India-Belgium Investment Fast-Track Mechanism as a dedicated platform to facilitate and expand both Belgian investments in India and Indian investments in Belgium, support businesses, address investment bottlenecks, and foster a more conducive environment for long-term economic cooperation. They also welcomed the ongoing engagement between the Federal Holding and Investment Company (SFPIM), Belgium's Sovereign Wealth Fund and India's National Investment and Infrastructure Fund (NIIF), and looked forward to formalizing the collaboration between SFPIM-NIIF to help establish the Indo-Belgian economic and investment corridor. They welcomed the contribution of the Belgian Investment Company for Developing Countries (BIO Invest) and agreed to explore potential cooperation between BIO Invest and NIIF in areas of mutual interest.
Sector-Specific Collaborations
The leaders acknowledged the enduring importance of the diamond trade linking Antwerp with Mumbai and Surat and agreed to further strengthen this historic partnership. They underlined the strategic importance of maritime and port cooperation and welcomed opportunities to deepen collaboration in port development, logistics, connectivity, dredging, and offshore wind infrastructure. They welcomed the planned participation of the Flemish Minister of Mobility and Ports, Annick De Ridder, to "Sagarmanthan: The Great Oceans Dialogue" in New Delhi in October 2026, and enhanced cooperation between APEC (the Antwerp/Flanders Port Training Centre) and India's Jawaharlal Nehru Port Authority (JNPA) in training needs identification and capacity building.
The two Prime Ministers welcomed the deepening cooperation in research and higher education, including in astronomy, astrophysics, and space technologies through the Belgo-Indian Network for Astronomy and Astrophysics (BINA), noting Belgium's contribution to several landmark astronomical facilities in India including the Devasthal Optical Telescope, the Devasthal International Liquid Mirror Telescope, the Mount Abu Telescope, and the Multi-Application Solar Telescope in Udaipur.
Defense and Security Cooperation
Prime Minister Bart De Wever conveyed Belgium's solidarity with India in the fight against terrorism, including cross-border terrorism, and condemned the terrorist attack on innocent civilians in Pahalgam, Jammu & Kashmir, in April 2025. Both leaders underscored their commitment to a comprehensive approach to counterterrorism and agreed to explore the establishment of a Belgium-India Joint Working Group on Counter-Terrorism.
On defence cooperation, the two Prime Ministers welcomed the signing of the Letter of Intent between the two Ministries of Defence, establishing a framework for regular exchanges, staff talks, education and training, research cooperation, and defence-industrial partnerships. They welcomed the steadily deepening engagement between the two defence establishments on maritime security, emerging technologies, education, military exchanges, and cooperation in the Indo-Pacific, including the planned visit of Belgian Frigate LEOPOLD I to India from 5 to 8 November 2026, the intention of the Belgian Defence College to organize its World Study Trip 2027 in India, and the study tour by College of Defence Management, Secunderabad to Belgium in October 2026.
They also welcomed the appointment of a Defence Attaché by Belgium in New Delhi and India's decision to appoint a resident Defence Attaché in the Indian Embassy in Brussels in the near future. The two Prime Ministers welcomed the growing defence-industrial cooperation between India and Belgium and encouraged industries on both sides to remain engaged in defence manufacturing, technology, innovation, co-development, and co-production.
The two Prime Ministers welcomed the signing of the MoU between the Central Bureau of Investigation of India and the Federal Police of Belgium on cooperation in combating transnational organized crime, cybercrime, and related matters, which would strengthen institutional linkages, facilitate information sharing, promote capacity building, and enhance cooperation in tracing fugitives.
Green Transition and Technology
The two Prime Ministers welcomed the signing of the renewed MoU on Renewable Energy Cooperation between India and Belgium, which expands collaboration in key areas including green hydrogen, solar energy, energy storage, offshore wind energy, bio-energy, small hydropower, and pumped storage plants. They acknowledged cooperation under the Memorandum of Understanding between GH2 India, the Belgian Hydrogen Council, and Flanders Investment & Trade, and the active participation of Indian officials in the Egmont Institute's green hydrogen exchange programme in Brussels.
Belgium and India reaffirmed their commitment to the Paris Agreement and its long-term goals, supporting a successful COP31 that advances implementation and results in enhanced action on the ground. They recognized that enhanced climate action is enabled by mobilizing adequate, predictable, and accessible climate finance from all sources, development and dissemination of climate technologies, and capacity-building.
The two leaders encouraged engagements between the Indian micro-electronics ecosystem, including semiconductor companies, ChipIn Centre, C-DAC, universities, and imec, Belgium, to develop deeper partnerships in semiconductor technologies. They welcomed the participation of the Minister-President of the Government of Flanders in the AI Impact Summit hosted by India, noting the growing importance of cooperation in artificial intelligence, emerging technologies, and innovation.
Both sides welcomed cooperation in startup incubation and agreed to continue collaboration between the MEITY Start Up Hub and Hub Brussels, as well as other startup hubs and skilling centers, fostering startup ecosystems and enhancing digital skills development.
Connectivity and People-to-People Ties
Both leaders recognized the importance of efficient visa services for people-to-people ties and connectivity and welcomed the ongoing reinforcement of the Belgian visa delivery services in India. They welcomed the signing of the EU MoU on Comprehensive Framework of Cooperation on Mobility and the launch of a pilot European Union Legal Gateway Office in India, noting its role in promoting legal pathways for movement of professionals, skilled workforce, and students.
Both leaders underscored the importance of strengthening connectivity and encouraged airline operators to explore the establishment of direct air connectivity between Belgium and India. They welcomed the ongoing cooperation between Belgian healthcare institutions and India in facilitating the mobility of qualified nurses from India to Belgium. They encouraged continued discussions towards the signing of an MoU on Mobility and Migration.
Prime Minister Modi invited leading Belgian Universities and premier academic institutions to open campuses in India under the New Education Policy of India. The two leaders encouraged cooperation between the skill development and Technical and Vocational Education and Training (TVET) ecosystems of India and Belgium, including through exchange of best practices, industry-responsive training, capacity building, apprenticeships, work-based learning, and cooperation in emerging and future skills.
International Issues
The two Prime Ministers exchanged views on major international developments, including recent developments in Ukraine and West Asia. Regarding Ukraine, both sides reaffirmed their support for efforts towards achieving a comprehensive, just, and lasting peace through dialogue and diplomacy in accordance with the principles of the UN Charter and international law. On West Asia, they underscored the importance of dialogue and diplomatic engagement to address challenges peacefully and stressed the importance of ensuring the safety and security of maritime routes and maintaining safe and unimpeded maritime shipping.
In the context of the deepening partnership, Prime Minister Bart De Wever extended an invitation to Prime Minister Narendra Modi to undertake a bilateral visit to Belgium at a mutually convenient time.