India and Belgium Strengthen Strategic Ties at Third Foreign Office Consultations in Brussels

Brussels, November 4:
India and Belgium reaffirmed their growing partnership during the third round of Foreign Office Consultations held at the historic Egmont Palace in Brussels, marking another milestone in their deepening diplomatic and economic engagement.

Leading the discussions, Secretary (West) Sibi George represented India, while Theodora Gentzis, the newly appointed President of the Board of Belgium’s Federal Public Service Foreign Affairs, headed the Belgian delegation.

The dialogue followed closely on the heels of Princess Astrid’s 362-member economic mission to Mumbai and Delhi earlier this year, underscoring Belgium’s renewed interest in expanding its footprint in India’s growth story.

The two-hour consultation began with warm reflections on recent high-level visits—Belgian Deputy Prime Minister Petra De Sutter’s trip to New Delhi and External Affairs Minister S. Jaishankar’s stop in Brussels. These exchanges have significantly boosted bilateral trade, now crossing the €10 billion mark.

Gentzis presented updated investment figures, noting that Belgian investments in India’s ports, pharmaceuticals, and diamond sectors have exceeded €4 billion in cumulative FDI. Meanwhile, Indian IT firms in Antwerp and Ghent now employ more than 3,000 European professionals, highlighting the mutual economic interdependence.

Looking ahead, both nations outlined ambitious areas of collaboration:

• Green Hydrogen: Belgium’s Zeebrugge expertise will complement India’s emerging Gujarat hydrogen hubs.

• Semiconductors: India will leverage IMEC’s world-class facilities in Leuven to train Indian engineers.

• Defence Cooperation: Joint naval exercises in the Arabian Sea are planned for 2026, strengthening maritime coordination.

Education took center stage as a major new initiative. Under 30 new MoUs, 500 Indian STEM students will pursue advanced studies at Flemish universities starting next year, supported by a revived Belgian scholarship program.

The ongoing India-EU Free Trade Agreement (FTA) negotiations also featured prominently. With talks underway in New Delhi until November 7, both sides reiterated their commitment to achieving a “balanced, fair, and mutually beneficial” pact by spring 2026. Belgium assured India of its support on carbon border adjustment issues within the EU framework.

The consultations concluded with convergence on multilateral priorities—including G20 climate finance, UN Security Council reform, and efforts to ease Red Sea shipping disruptions.

A joint communiqué announced plans for quarterly virtual meetings and a leaders’ summit in 2026, further institutionalizing dialogue.

For Belgian companies eyeing India’s infrastructure expansion and Indian students aspiring for Flemish academia, the Brussels meeting laid out a clear roadmap for the next phase of India-Belgium relations.