India and Belgium on Thursday agreed to significantly expand their cooperation in trade, defence, critical minerals, clean energy and technologies following Prime Minister Narendra Modi’s wide-ranging talks with his Belgian counterpart Bart De Wever.
In his media statement, Modi highlighted India recording a 7.8 per cent growth rate in the last quarter and said the country’s economic rise was a source of confidence and new opportunities for the world.
The Belgian prime minister described the conclusion of the India-European Union free trade pact as a major milestone, and said New Delhi and Brussels are building a relationship that is broad and more strategic than ever before.
“Today, the world is passing through a phase of great upheaval. In many parts of the world, situations of conflict persist. Food, fuel or supply chains- uncertainty is affecting every sector,” Modi said.
“Even in this challenging environment, India’s economy has maintained its momentum. In the last quarter, we have recorded a growth of 7.8 percent,” he said.
The prime minister said India’s growth story is becoming “a source of confidence and new opportunities for the world”.
Modi once again pitched for resolving the conflicts in Ukraine and West Asia through dialogue and diplomacy.
“India and Belgium, both believe in the rule of law, dialogue, and diplomacy. Be it Ukraine or West Asia, we support all efforts for the early end of conflicts and for peace,” he said.
The prime minister said India and Belgium are committed to eradicate every form of terrorism.
Modi also listed priorities of the two countries to expand cooperation in areas of high technologies and clean energy.
“A clean energy future and reliable supply chain are our shared priorities. An MoU signed today on renewable energy will give new momentum to our sustainability cooperation,” he said.
“In critical minerals, we have decided to increase cooperation in processing and recycling. In semiconductors, Belgium’s expertise and India’s scale are complementary to each other,” he added.
