New Delhi [India], September 3 (ANI): Belgian’s Defence Minister Theo Francken on Thursday hailed India’s technological prowess and called for deepening partnership with India at the Defence Ministers’ Bilateral Meeting here in the national capital.
In his remarks to Defence Minister Rajnath Singh, Francken said that Belgium needs countries like India to collaborate on future projects.
“We can learn so much from you. You are a high-technology country. You are one of the most densely populated countries, and we really need to work together because Belgium is an old Western European country with a lot of technology, but we need countries like India. We need to collaborate on future projects, and for Belgium, this is the way forward”
He recalled how the country had sent its biggest economic mission to India ever with Princess Astrid in March 2025 and called it the first step in “a mutual, new friendship and relation.”
He noted the fillip in ties since then, and how within 18 months, contracts have been signed on collaboration projects.
“That is amazing. This means that we worked hard, that our people worked hard, and that we can go further in this pathway.”
The Belgian Defence Minister is accompanying Prime Minister Bart De Wever, who is on an official visit to the country from September 2-4.
He told Singh, “I'm very happy to be here with our Prime Minister. For first time in more than 20 years a Belgian Prime Minister is visiting your beautiful country. We have a busy, busy schedule with lot of signing ceremonies, a lot of good talks with the Prime Minister…”
In his remarks, he expressed consonance with Rajnath Singh on how the world is facing challenges and said, “I think it's totally right when you talk about geopolitical challenges that we have to meet. We didn't organise them, we didn't always want them, but we need to be realistic, and we need to go further. And we can do this in friendship and partnership between Belgium and India.”
Fracken also said that he was in Japan last week and also conveyed the wishes of the Japanese leadership to India.
Earlier during the meeting, Defence Minister Rajnath Singh called for greater defence cooperation between India and Belgium, saying the two countries have the potential to further expand their partnership amid a period of "great geopolitical and economic turmoil" globally.
"The world is witnessing a time of great geopolitical and economic turmoil. Most of it is not our doing, but we have to handle the challenges. In such situations, meeting a friend and partner like you provides a useful opportunity to exchange views and perspectives," Singh said.
Singh noted that there was significant potential to further expand defence cooperation between the two countries, particularly by strengthening engagement between their defence industries.
India and Belgium have maintained longstanding ties, with both sides seeking to deepen cooperation across strategic areas.
Prime Minister De Wever, who is on a visit to India is scheduled to hold bilateral talks with Prime Minister Modi on Thursday to discuss the entire spectrum of bilateral relations, as well as regional and global issues of mutual interest.
The visit will provide an opportunity to further strengthen the India-Belgium partnership and advance cooperation in areas of mutual interest, including defence and security, along with further deepening the India-EU and India-Europe engagement. (ANI)
“We can learn so much from you…”: Belgian Defence Minister Theo Francken pitches deeper ties with India
