New Delhi, 03 September (H.S.):

Defence Minister Rajnath Singh held delegation-level talks with Belgian Defence and Foreign Trade Minister Theo Francken on Thursday during Belgian Prime Minister Bart De Wever’s three-day official visit to India. The two sides discussed ways to further strengthen India-Belgium defence relations and defence industrial cooperation. Several memoranda of understanding and contracts were signed as part of the defence industrial cooperation framework during the meeting.

During the talks, Rajnath Singh said the world is currently passing through a period of serious geopolitical and economic turbulence. In such circumstances, he said, an exchange of views and perspectives with Belgium, a friend and important partner of India, is significant. He emphasised that India-Belgium relations are founded on mutual respect, democratic values and a shared commitment to a rules-based international order.

The Defence Minister said the India-Belgium Strategic Dialogue held in July provides an institutional framework for taking bilateral cooperation forward. He noted that there is considerable scope for expanding bilateral cooperation in the fields of defence and security and welcomed greater collaboration between Belgian and Indian defence companies.

Following the meeting, Rajnath Singh said the two sides had reviewed the entire spectrum of India-Belgium defence relations and defence industrial cooperation. He said several memoranda of understanding and contracts had been signed under defence industrial cooperation, with the objective of combining Belgian technology with India’s skills and large-scale industrial capabilities.

During the talks, Theo Francken expressed Belgium’s desire to expand cooperation with India in the fields of defence and technology. He said Belgium possesses considerable technological capabilities, but cooperation with countries such as India is essential for future projects. Describing India as a high-technology country, he said both nations had much to learn from each other.

Francken said countries would have to move forward with a pragmatic approach to address the geopolitical challenges confronting the world. He added that India and Belgium could tackle these challenges through friendship and partnership.

After the meeting, Defence Minister Rajnath Singh said in a post on X that his discussions with Belgian Defence and Foreign Trade Minister Theo Francken had been highly productive. He said the two sides reviewed the entire spectrum of India-Belgium defence relations and defence industrial cooperation. Several memoranda of understanding and contracts have been signed under defence industrial cooperation, he added.

Belgian Prime Minister Bart De Wever is on a three-day official visit to India from September 2 to 4. He is accompanied by Defence and Foreign Trade Minister Theo Francken and a high-level business delegation. This is De Wever’s first visit to India since becoming Prime Minister of Belgium.

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Hindusthan Samachar / Jun Sarkar