Brussels, July 15 (IANS) External Affairs Minister (EAM) S Jaishankar and his counterpart from Belgium, Maxime Prevot, on Wednesday reviewed bilateral cooperation, including in political, economic, investments, clean energy, defence, mobility and pharmaceutical domains. The two leaders focused on opportunities in ports, maritime, semiconductors and broader cooperation for supply chain de-risking.

The discussions were held during the inaugural India Belgium Strategic Dialogue in Brussels on Wednesday. EAM Jaishankar and Prevot also exchanged views on global developments, including in West Asia.

“Co-chaired with DPM and FM Maxime Prevot the inaugural India Belgium Strategic Dialogue in Brussels today. Our partnership has witnessed significant deepening in recent years. Today’s discussions reflected the ambition of India’s ties with Belgium, and the European Union,” EAM Jaishankar posted on X after the meeting.

“Reviewed our cooperation including in political, economic, investments, clean energy, defence, mobility and pharmaceutical domains. Also focused on opportunities in ports, maritime, semiconductors as well as broader cooperation for supply chain de-risking. Had a useful exchange of perspectives on global developments including in West Asia,” he added.

Earlier in the day, EAM Jaishankar also met European Commissioner for International Partnerships, Ekaterina Zaharieva, discussing opportunities for research in clean and green energy technologies, innovation hubs, startups and association with Horizon Europe.

“It’s a great honour to receive Dr S Jaishankar and Prof Sood in Brussels. When Europe and India innovate together, we don’t just develop new technologies—we shape the future. By bringing India closer to Horizon Europe and connecting nearly half a million startups, we are building a partnership designed to turn shared ambition into global impact,” said Zaharieva.

EAM Jaishankar also held a meeting with Jozef Síkela, European Commissioner for International Partnerships, with discussions focusing on advancing cooperation in connectivity, trilateral partnerships, IMEC and green shipping.

In his opening remarks at the meeting, EAM Jaishankar said that the international situation wants nations like India and Belgium, which have a close relationship, to engage more deeply. EAM Jaishankar said that both countries have an opportunity of not just building on the current “very substantive relationship”, but can also do a lot in the field of clean energy, digital technologies, life sciences, chemical industry, logistics, manufacturing, etc.

He stated that India’s ties with Belgium are very much in tandem with those with the European Union (EU) which are acquiring a strategic character due to the Free Trade Agreement (FTA) between both sides.

“I think both bilaterally and globally there is a strong case for us to engage more. What we are doing with Belgium is very much in tandem to what we are doing with the European Union. You are in a way the core of the European Union and I would say we can see in front of our eyes that the Indian relationship with European Union is acquiring a strategic character.

“So, the FTA itself, we explain to our own people, is something much bigger than just a trade agreement. But, along with the FTA, today we have a security and defence partnership. We are negotiating a security of information agreement. We have a mobility framework. We are here for a trade and technology council with some of the major European initiatives like the global gateway or in the research side, we are trying to get involved with Horizon Europe,” he said.

EAM Jaishankar mentioned that New Delhi continues to bat for a deeper engagement in pretty much every sector. The process, he said, has been launched and would be in an advanced stage soon.

“Our discussions, in fact, is how do we speed it up. Few months ago, people said we’ll do our best by the end of the year so that by next year everything is ready.”

He noted that international economy faces several challenges like overdependence on sources of production, access to some markets and connectivity. EAM Jaishankar mentioned that the tensions happening around the world cannot be contained regionally and have a cascading impact.

“The international situation today really warrants countries like ours, which have a close relationship, to engage with each other more deeply. It’s very clear that the international economy itself faces today structural challenges, challenges of overdependence on sources of production, challenges of access to some markets, challenges of connectivity, we are seeing it very sharply today in the Gulf, challenges of logistics, sometimes of technology. So, what we do to stabilise and to de-risk and to diversify, I think is today really the central issue in world diplomacy and certainly one that should that should engage us.”

–IANS

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