Visit of the Prime Minister of Belgium to India

Syllabus: GS2/IR

Context

• Recently the Belgian Prime Minister visited India, marking the first official visit by a Belgian Prime Minister in two decades. 

About

• Bilateral Trade: India and Belgium have set a goal of doubling bilateral trade over the next five years. 
  • Both the nations welcomed the launch of the India-Belgium Investment Fast-Track Mechanism and recognised it as an important step towards further strengthening bilateral investment ties.
• Defence Partnerships: The two countries also signed a Letter of Intent to strengthen defence cooperation through regular exchanges, training, research and defence-industrial partnerships.
  • India and Belgium announced they are strengthening bilateral military relations by signing eight contracts between arms companies from both sides.
• Global Security: Belgium reiterated its support for India’s permanent membership in a reformed United Nations Security Council. 
• A Memorandum of Understanding was also signed between the Central Bureau of Investigation and the Federal Police of Belgium to combat transnational organised crime and cybercrime.
• Green Transition: India and Belgium renewed their cooperation in renewable energy, including green hydrogen, solar power, energy storage and offshore wind.
  • The leaders also encouraged greater cooperation in semiconductors, artificial intelligence, startups and emerging technologies.

Brief on India-Belgium Relations

• Diplomatic Relations: Belgium was one of the first European nations to establish diplomatic ties with independent India in September 1947. 
  • In July 2026, Brussels hosted the inaugural Belgium-India Strategic Dialogue.
  • The 3rd round of India-Belgium Foreign Office Consultations took place in Brussels in 2025. 
• Economic and Commercial Relations: The India-Belgium-Luxembourg Economic Union (BLEU) Joint Economic Commission (JCM), established in 1997, is the primary platform for discussing bilateral economic and commercial relations.
  • India-Belgium bilateral trade amounted to USD 13.01 billion in 2025-26. Major Indian exports include diamonds, tobacco, shrimp, medicaments and steel, while key imports to India are diamonds, pharmaceutical products, machinery and mechanical appliances and aluminium scrap. 
  • FDI inflows to India, from April 2000 to December 2025, amounted to USD 4.2 billion, positioning Belgium as the 18th largest contributor to India’s FDI. 
• Science & Technology: India and Belgium collaborate in specific areas of science and technology under several MoUs:
  • The 1998 MoU on Cooperation in Space Technology, 
  • The 2014 MoU between TERI India and VITO-Belgium, and 
  • The 2012 MoU between BARC and SCK-SEN (Belgian Nuclear Research Centre). 
• Cultural Relations: India and Belgium have had a cultural agreement since 1973.
  • An MoU for cultural cooperation was signed between ICCR and BOZAR (Center for Fine Arts, Brussels) in 2021. 
• Indian Diaspora: The number of Indians in Belgium includes NRIs (18,283) and PIOs (16,717) (total 35,000, including 1,131 students).
  • Diaspora includes Sikh Diaspora-15,000, Diamond Business Professionals-8,000, IT Professionals-9,000 and others-3,000.

Source: MEA