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India and Belgium on Wednesday held the inaugural Strategic Dialogue in Brussels, reviewing bilateral cooperation across a wide range of sectors, including defence, semiconductors, supply chains, trade, investment, clean energy and mobility.
According to a statement issued by the Ministry of External Affairs (MEA), the first meeting of the India-Belgium Strategic Dialogue marked a significant step towards strengthening bilateral relations through a more structured and comprehensive partnership. Anchored in the broader India-European Union Strategic Partnership, the dialogue will provide a regular, comprehensive and results-oriented framework for political engagement. The inaugural session was co-chaired by External Affairs Minister S Jaishankar and Belgium's Deputy Prime Minister and Minister of Foreign Affairs, European Affairs and Development Cooperation, Maxime Prevot. During the discussion, Belgium's Deputy Prime Minister and Foreign Minister Maxime Prevot said, "The Belgian Economic Mission of March 2025 demonstrated the strength and dynamism of the economic ties between our two countries. Trade, investment and innovation continue to bring our two countries closer together and provide a solid foundation for future cooperation." Jaishankar noted, "Belgium occupies a special place in India's engagement with Europe. As our bilateral partnership grows in depth and the India-EU relationship acquires greater strategic importance, this Strategic Dialogue will enable us to build on our complementarities and deliver tangible outcomes for our two countries and for our wider cooperation with Europe." In a post on X, the EAM said the discussions reflected the growing ambition of India's partnership with Belgium and the European Union. "Co-chaired with DPM & FM Maxime Prevot the inaugural India-Belgium Strategic Dialogue in Brussels today. Our partnership has witnessed significant deepening in recent years. Today's discussions reflected the ambition of India's ties with Belgium and the European Union," the EAM wrote. https://x.com/DrSJaishankar/status/2077329258389594517?s=20 According to the MEA, both sides agreed to deepen cooperation in trade and investment, the green energy transition, innovation and technology, connectivity, defence, security, regional and global issues, as well as people-to-people exchanges. The Strategic Dialogue will be supported by regular high-level engagements between the two governments to ensure sustained political momentum. The two sides also noted that upcoming high-level visits later this year would provide an opportunity to advance key initiatives and translate shared ambitions into tangible outcomes for the benefit of the people of both countries. As part of the engagements, the launch of the Strategic Dialogue was complemented by the India-EU Business Forum, which brought together Indian, Belgian and other European businesses at the Federation of Belgian Enterprises (FEB). The forum was attended by Jaishankar, Union Commerce and Industry Minister Piyush Goyal, Minister of State for Commerce and Industry and Electronics and Information Technology Jitin Prasada, Belgian Minister-President of Flanders Matthias Diependaele, and Minister-President of Wallonia Adrien Dolimont. The forum discussed ways to convert the growing political momentum into concrete economic and trade opportunities, particularly in view of the ongoing negotiations on the India-EU Free Trade Agreement (FTA). The MEA said India and Belgium reaffirmed their shared commitment to a stronger, more ambitious and future-oriented partnership in keeping with the growing importance of bilateral relations and the evolving international environment. (ANI)
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