Belgian Prime Minister Bart De Wever will arrive in India this week on his first official visit to the country since taking office, with talks with Prime Minister Narendra Modi expected to focus on strengthening bilateral cooperation in trade, investment, defence, technology and other key sectors. De Wever will undertake the official visit from September 2 to 4 at Modi’s invitation and will be accompanied by Belgian Defence Minister Theo Francken, the Ministry of External Affairs (MEA) said on Monday.
The two Prime Ministers are scheduled to hold bilateral talks on September 3, during which they will review the entire spectrum of India-Belgium relations and exchange views on regional and global developments of mutual interest.
Trade and defence on agenda
The visit is expected to provide fresh momentum to cooperation in trade and investment, defence and security, technology, renewable energy, connectivity and people-to-people ties. The two countries are also seeking to expand engagement in areas such as pharmaceuticals, semiconductors, maritime cooperation and supply-chain diversification.
De Wever will deliver a keynote address at a Confederation of Indian Industry (CII) business event in New Delhi, with the programme expected to focus on economic opportunities in the context of the India-European Union Free Trade Agreement.
The Belgian Prime Minister will subsequently travel to Mumbai, where he is scheduled to engage with stakeholders from the diamond, ports and logistics industries. Belgium, particularly Antwerp, has longstanding commercial links with India’s diamond industry, while ports and logistics have emerged as another important area of cooperation.
The visit is also expected to deepen India’s wider engagement with Belgium as an important member of the European Union.
De Wever assumed office as Belgium’s Prime Minister in February 2025. His visit is significant as it will be the first time in nearly two decades that a Belgian Prime Minister has been received by an Indian Prime Minister in India. The previous such visit was by then Belgian Prime Minister Guy Verhofstadt in 2006.
Strategic dialogue builds momentum
The visit follows the inaugural India-Belgium Strategic Dialogue held in Brussels on July 15 between External Affairs Minister S Jaishankar and Belgian Deputy Prime Minister and Foreign Minister Maxime Prevot.
During those discussions, the two sides reviewed cooperation across political and economic relations, investment, clean energy, defence, mobility and pharmaceuticals. They also identified opportunities in ports, maritime cooperation, semiconductors and efforts to diversify and strengthen supply chains.
India and Belgium established diplomatic relations in September 1947, making Belgium one of the first European countries to establish formal ties with independent India.
The relationship has expanded considerably beyond its traditional commercial foundations, with both countries increasingly exploring cooperation in emerging technologies, clean energy, defence and resilient supply chains.
Belgium has also supported India’s candidature for permanent membership of the United Nations Security Council.
The MEA said De Wever’s visit would provide an opportunity to further strengthen the India-Belgium partnership while deepening India-EU and broader India-Europe engagement.