India, Belgium agree to deepen defence ties, boost maritime security cooperation
New Delhi, September 1. Defence Minister Rajnath Singh and Belgian Defence and Foreign Trade Minister Theo Francken held talks in New Delhi, reviewing the full range of bilateral defence and defence-industrial cooperation as the two countries looked to strengthen their strategic partnership.
During the meeting on September 3, the two ministers agreed to broaden defence engagement through regular defence cooperation dialogue, high-level exchanges, training programmes and capacity-building initiatives, the Ministry of Defence said.
Singh and Francken also exchanged views on regional peace and security, with both sides recognising the importance of greater cooperation on maritime security in the Indo-Pacific.
The two leaders reaffirmed that India-Belgium relations are underpinned by shared values, mutual trust and respect, according to the ministry.
The bilateral meeting took place on the sidelines of Prime Minister Narendra Modi’s talks with Belgian Prime Minister Bart De Wever in New Delhi.