Belgium’s Prime Minister Bart De Wever visited India from 2 to 4 September 2026 at the invitation of India’s Prime Minister Narendra Modi. This was his first visit to India since taking office in February 2025. The visit resulted in a joint statement covering trade, defence, and diplomatic cooperation between the two nations.
What was agreed
The two leaders inaugurated a Strategic Dialogue mechanism launched in Brussels on 15 July 2026, which will manage cooperation across trade, investment, green energy, technology, defence, security and people-to-people ties. Belgium reaffirmed its support for India’s bid for permanent membership of a reformed United Nations Security Council. India and Belgium agreed to back each other’s candidatures for non-permanent UN Security Council seats: India for 2028-29 and Belgium for 2037-38.
On trade, both countries welcomed the conclusion of India-EU Free Trade Agreement negotiations on 27 January 2026 and called for early completion of an Investment Protection Agreement and Geographical Indications agreement. The leaders set an ambition to double bilateral trade within five years. They identified priority sectors including life sciences, pharmaceuticals, healthcare, renewable energy, defence, aerospace, logistics, semiconductors, chemicals and nuclear energy. Belgium’s role in the diamond trade between Antwerp and Indian cities like Mumbai and Surat was recognised as historically important.
A new India-Belgium Investment Fast-Track Mechanism was launched to ease Belgian investments in India and Indian investments in Belgium. The two countries’ sovereign wealth funds—Belgium’s SFPIM and India’s NIIF—will explore formalising collaboration on an Indo-Belgian economic corridor.
On defence, the two nations signed a Letter of Intent establishing a framework for staff exchanges, military training, research cooperation and defence industrial partnerships. Belgium’s Defence Ministry and India’s agreed on this during a March 2025 meeting. The two countries will establish a Joint Working Group on Counter-Terrorism. Belgium’s warship LEOPOLD I will visit India from 5 to 8 November 2026, and Belgium appointed a Defence Attache in New Delhi while India will post a resident Defence Attache in Brussels.
Belgium welcomed cooperation in astronomical research through the Belgo-Indian Network for Astronomy and Astrophysics and recognised its contribution to Indian telescopes including facilities in Devasthal, Mount Abu and Udaipur.
What this means for you
Indian businesses may find new opportunities in defence manufacturing, pharmaceuticals and renewable energy sectors through the investment fast-track mechanism. Students and researchers in space sciences could benefit from expanded Belgium-India astronomical collaboration. The doubling of trade target could increase product availability and economic activity across both nations over the next five years.