Modi Meets Belgium PM In Delhi, Lauds Bilateral Cooperation In Key Sectors Wever Calls India A 'Powerhouse'

(MENAFN- Live Mint) Prime Minister Narendra Modi on Thursday lauded the growing India-Belgium partnership, highlighting how bilateral cooperation between the two countries has expanded beyond traditional areas into strategic sectors such as defence and clean energy.

He also pointed to joint efforts involving the Zorawar tank and a major green ammonia project in Andhra Pradesh. PM Modi made these observations as he delivered joint remarks along with Belgian PM Bart De Wever in Delhi, ANI reported.

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De Wever, who is on his first three-day visit to India, received a warm welcome from PM Modi, with the two leaders meeting on Thursday at Hyderabad House in the national capital, marking a diplomatic milestone as De Wever becomes the first Belgian premier to visit India in two decades.

PM Modi also recalled De Wever's support for India-Belgium diamond trade and the Indian community during his tenure as Mayor of Antwerp.

Recalling the Belgium visit he made a decade ago, PM Modi noted how strides have been made since then in the bilateral partnership. He said, "Today, the scope of our cooperation has expanded beyond traditional sectors to encompass strategic areas such as defense and clean energy. We are collaborating on modern defence equipment, such as the Zorawar tank. We are also developing one of the world's largest green ammonia projects in Kakinada, Andhra Pradesh."

Highlighting the historic nature of the relationship between India and Belgium, he added, "The ties between India and Belgium are deeply rooted in history. The courage and sacrifice of thousands of Indian soldiers in Belgium during the First World War remain a vital part of our shared memory. Today, democratic values, a market economy, and strong people-to-people ties make us natural partners.”

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De Wever applauded India's growth in the last two decades, describing New Delhi as a major global powerhouse. He also hailed the country as the world's largest democracy with the fastest-growing economy and termed India an important ally. While delivering joint remarks along with PM Modi, he stated, "It is particularly meaningful to be here as the first Belgian Prime Minister in 20 years, and that's a very long time. It's too long. In those 20 years, India has changed enormously, and certainly during the period of the leadership of Prime Minister Modi. Today, you are not only the world's largest democracy, but also the fastest-growing major economy. It has become an economic and technological powerhouse and a major geopolitical factor whose voice carries way beyond this region."

Stressing India's importance as an ally for Belgium, De Wever said, "For Belgium, this makes India an increasingly important partner, and I believe my country also has a lot to offer to India in return. We are a little bit smaller in scale. But we are one of the world's most open and internationally connected economies. We have built our prosperity on trade and access to global markets. With 11 million inhabitants and a country 100 times smaller than India, we have grown into the 25th economy of the world. We have developed world-class expertise in pharmaceuticals, chemicals, semiconductors, clean energy, advanced manufacturing, and logistics. All the topics we talked about are topics of cooperation and growth with each other."

India bolsters ties with Europe, European Union

The meeting between the two leaders comes at a time when New Delhi is pushing to boost its ties with the European Union and Europe. Earlier this year, India signed a Free Trade Agreement (FTA) with the European Union.

The meeting is expected to further strengthen cooperation between India and Belgium across key strategic and economic sectors.

(with ANI inputs)

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