EAM Jaishankar co-chairs inaugural India-Belgium Strategic Dialogue, discusses trade, defence and emerging technologies

By R Anil Kumar

• India and Belgium are actively elevating their bilateral partnership through expanded collaboration in trade, clean energy, defence manufacturing, and semiconductor technology. This includes efforts to secure India-EU Free Trade Agreement (FTA) and build resilient, diversified supply chains

Brussels/Bengaluru, July 15, 2026. External Affairs Minister S. Jaishankar on Wednesday co-chaired the inaugural India-Belgium Strategic Dialogue with Belgium’s Deputy Prime Minister and Foreign Minister Maxime Prévot in Brussels, reviewing the expanding bilateral partnership and exploring new avenues of cooperation in key strategic sectors.

Sharing details of the meeting in a post on X, EAM Jaishankar said India and Belgium’s partnership has witnessed significant deepening in recent years and that the inaugural Strategic Dialogue reflected the growing ambition of ties between the two countries as well as between India and the European Union.

The two leaders reviewed cooperation across a wide range of areas, including political engagement, economic relations, investments, clean energy, defence, mobility and pharmaceuticals. They also discussed opportunities to strengthen collaboration in ports, maritime connectivity and the semiconductor sector, while exploring broader cooperation to build resilient and diversified global supply chains.

The discussions also covered regional and global developments, with both sides exchanging views on the evolving situation in West Asia.

During his visit to Brussels, EAM Jaishankar also met European Commissioner for International Partnerships Jozef Síkela to discuss expanding cooperation in connectivity initiatives, trilateral partnerships, the India-Middle East-Europe Economic Corridor (IMEC) and green shipping.

In a separate meeting, the External Affairs Minister held talks with European Commissioner for Startups, Research and Innovation Ekaterina Zaharieva. The discussions focused on enhancing collaboration in research on clean and green energy technologies, strengthening innovation ecosystems, promoting startup partnerships and advancing India’s association with the European Union’s Horizon Europe research and innovation programme.

India and Belgium on Tuesday, July 14, discussed ways to expand cooperation across trade, investment, technology, logistics and workforce mobility.

Commerce and Industry Minister Piyush Goyal meets David Clarinval, Deputy Prime Minister and Minister of Employment, Economy, and Agriculture of Belgium.

Commerce and Industry Minister Piyush Goyal had an excellent meeting with David Clarinval, Deputy Prime Minister and Minister of Employment, Economy, and Agriculture of Belgium.

“We also exchanged views on the transformative potential of the India-EU Free Trade Agreement and reaffirmed our shared commitment to further strengthening economic ties for the mutual benefit of our businesses and people,” Goyal said in a post on X.

Goyal also met EU Commissioner for Climate, Net-Zero and Clean Growth, Wopke Hoekstra, and exchanged views on strengthening India–EU cooperation in clean growth, climate action and sustainable industrial development.

“Our discussions focused on expanding collaboration in renewable energy, green hydrogen, clean technologies, innovation, investments and resilient value chains to support our shared net-zero ambitions,” the minister maintained.

Goyal began his day in Brussels with a productive meeting with Thomas Colinet, MD, and Bruno Lete, Director of Public Affairs at Thales Belgium.

“Appreciated the company’s longstanding operations in India, including manufacturing for global markets, technology partnerships & skill development. We also discussed opportunities to further strengthen collaboration and encouraged the company to further expand its manufacturing footprint in India, aligned with the vision of ‘Make in India, Make for the World’,” informed Goyal.

Earlier, Goyal met Jordi Hereu, Minister of Industry and Tourism of Spain, and explored new opportunities to strengthen India-Spain collaboration in trade, investment, manufacturing, innovation, tourism and other future-ready sectors that drive growth, competitiveness and job creation.

“We also exchanged views on the India-EU FTA and reaffirmed our commitment to strengthening industrial partnerships, building resilient supply chains and deepening economic cooperation for the mutual benefit of both nations,” Goyal said.

Diplomatic and Trade Developments

Bilateral ties are undergoing a major expansion beyond their traditional focus on diamond trading and business. Key initiatives involve:

Strategic Dialogue: External Affairs Minister S. Jaishankar and Belgian Deputy Prime Minister Maxime Prévot co-chaired the inaugural India-Belgium Strategic Dialogue in Brussels to coordinate on geopolitical stability, supply chain de-risking, and mobility.

Trade and EU FTA: Commerce Minister Piyush Goyal met with Belgian and EU leaders to push the India-EU FTA, which aims to significantly elevate bilateral investment and cooperation in innovation. Manufacturing and Defence: India is encouraging Belgian firms—such as Thales Belgium—to expand their operations locally under the ‘Make in India’ initiative, alongside expanding joint ventures in clean energy and life sciences.