India Has Become a Major Global Power, Belgium PM Bart De Wever Says

Delhi, Sep 03: Belgian Prime Minister Bart De Wever on Thursday described India as an increasingly important global partner, saying its economic, technological and geopolitical influence now extends well beyond South Asia as the two countries moved to deepen cooperation in defence and trade.

Speaking at a joint press conference with Prime Minister Narendra Modi after their meeting in New Delhi, De Wever said India had undergone an enormous transformation over the past two decades. His visit marked the first trip by a Belgian Prime Minister to India in 20 years, a gap he described as “too long”.

De Wever said India’s position as the world’s largest democracy, the fastest-growing major economy and an economic and technological powerhouse had strengthened its international role. He added that India’s growing geopolitical significance made it an increasingly important partner for Belgium.

He also said Belgium, despite its smaller scale, could offer India a highly open and internationally connected economy built around trade and access to global markets.

The Belgian leader also conveyed condolences to the families of Indian citizens who died in the devastating flash floods in Nepal on August 26.

Security cooperation featured prominently in his discussions with Modi. Belgian Defence and Foreign Trade Minister Theo Francken accompanied the delegation as Belgium sought to expand cooperation between the two countries’ armed forces and defence industries.

De Wever said the exchange of a letter of intent had established a broader framework for bilateral defence engagement. The framework covers government-to-government contacts and military exchanges, as well as research, innovation, co-development and the possibility of co-production.

Trade also emerged as a key area of engagement, with De Wever calling the successful conclusion of the EU-India Free Trade Agreement a major milestone. He said Belgium would work to translate the agreement into concrete outcomes for citizens, including improved market access, greater investment and clearer rules for businesses making long-term investment decisions.

He said the agreement carried wider significance because India and Europe had decided, after nearly two decades of negotiations, to bring their economies closer at a time when economic fragmentation was increasing elsewhere.

De Wever said he looked forward to welcoming Modi to Brussels in December for an official visit and the signing of the EU-India Free Trade Agreement. He described the proposed visit as an opportunity to continue bilateral discussions and expressed confidence that the relationship between India and Belgium had further potential.

He said the countries shared a history spanning centuries and had demonstrated through the latest engagement that they also shared a future.