Belgian Prime Minister Bart De Wever has arrived in New Delhi for his first official India visit, with trade, defence and technology high on the agenda…reports Asian Lite News Desk
Belgian Prime Minister Bart De Wever arrived in New Delhi on Thursday for a three-day official visit to India, his first trip to the country since taking office in February last year.
Belgian Defence Minister Theo Francken is accompanying De Wever as part of the visiting delegation.
The Belgian Prime Minister is scheduled to hold bilateral talks with Prime Minister Narendra Modi later on Thursday, with discussions expected to cover the full range of India-Belgium relations as well as regional and global issues of mutual interest.
The Ministry of External Affairs welcomed De Wever’s arrival in a post on X.
“Welcome to India! A very warm welcome to Prime Minister Bart De Wever of Belgium as he arrives in New Delhi on an official visit. He was received by Minister of State for Defence Sanjay Seth,” the ministry said.
“The visit provides an opportunity to further strengthen the close and multifaceted India-Belgium partnership,” it added.
The visit is expected to focus on strengthening bilateral trade and investment, defence and security cooperation, renewable energy, technology and connectivity. It will also provide an opportunity to deepen wider India-EU and India-Europe engagement.
De Wever will deliver a keynote address at a Confederation of Indian Industry business event, where discussions are expected to take place in the context of the India-EU Free Trade Agreement.
Following his engagements in New Delhi, the Belgian Prime Minister will travel to Mumbai. During the Mumbai leg of the visit, he is expected to meet stakeholders from key sectors including diamonds, ports and logistics.
The MEA said the visit would help advance cooperation across several areas of mutual interest, including trade and investment, defence and security, technology, renewable energy, connectivity and people-to-people ties.
India and Belgium have maintained diplomatic relations since September 1947, when Belgium became one of the first European countries to establish ties with independent India.
According to the Indian Embassy in Brussels, the bilateral relationship is based on shared values including a commitment to the rule of law, federalism and pluralism.
Belgium also supports India’s bid for permanent membership of the United Nations Security Council.
The visit comes as India seeks to deepen economic and strategic partnerships with European countries while advancing negotiations and engagement with the European Union on trade, investment and other areas of mutual interest.
