India and Belgium on Thursday agreed to significantly expand their defence partnership, signing several agreements aimed at strengthening military and industrial cooperation, including the joint production of defence equipment in India.
The decision came during talks between Defence Minister Rajnath Singh and his Belgian counterpart Theo Francken. The meeting was held ahead of wide-ranging discussions between Prime Minister Narendra Modi and Belgian Prime Minister Bart De Wever.
Defence Partnership Gets A Boost
Singh and Francken reviewed the entire spectrum of defence and industrial cooperation between the two countries. They agreed to broaden their engagement through training and capacity-building initiatives.
The two Defence Ministers also discussed regional peace and security and underlined the need for greater maritime security cooperation in the Indo-Pacific.
"Both leaders also discussed issues of regional peace and security and acknowledged the need for maritime security collaboration in the Indo-Pacific. They reiterated that the partnership between India and Belgium is based on shared values of mutual trust and respect," the Defence Ministry said.
The emphasis on maritime security gives the partnership a wider strategic dimension. Belgium's dependence on open trade routes and India's position in the Indo-Pacific make security in the region an area where the interests of the two countries increasingly converge.
Defence Framework Pact Signed
Following the meeting between Modi and De Wever, India and Belgium signed a defence framework agreement. Separately, 10 agreements were signed to promote cooperation between Indian and Belgian defence industries, PTI reports.
These agreements include plans for the production of Belgian military hardware, including rockets, in India. The move puts industrial cooperation at the centre of the expanding defence relationship and could provide further momentum to joint manufacturing between companies from the two countries.
"India is a rapidly growing economy and a major military power in the Indo-Pacific. The country is also strategically located along some of the world's most important trade routes," Francken said.
"For an open trading nation like Belgium, the security of these sea lanes is vital. At the same time, Europe's security is increasingly interconnected with developments in Asia," he said.
Europe, Indo-Pacific Security Increasingly Linked
Francken also raised concerns over Russia's war in Ukraine and its military cooperation with Iran and North Korea.
He said China was becoming increasingly assertive in the Indo-Pacific and argued that security developments in Europe and Asia could no longer be viewed separately.
"China is becoming increasingly assertive in the Indo-Pacific. What happens in Asia has consequences for Europe. And vice versa. Our security does not stop at our borders. That is why we need to work more closely with strong partners such as India: militarily, technologically and industrially," Francken said, according to a Belgian readout.
His remarks underline the broader strategic thinking behind the partnership. The talks were not limited to defence trade, with both sides also looking at security challenges extending from Europe to the Indo-Pacific.
Belgium Signals No Critical Military Supplies To Pakistan
In another significant development, Belgium is understood to have conveyed to India that it will not supply critical military hardware to Pakistan.
Francken also highlighted the potential for deeper industrial cooperation between India and Belgium to strengthen their defence forces through collective efforts.
He and Minister of State for Defence Sanjay Seth later addressed an India-Belgium Defence CEOs Roundtable, taking the discussions on defence cooperation to the industry level.
Cyber Security, AI And Unmanned Systems In Focus
At the roundtable, Seth said India and Belgium could build on their respective strengths and prioritise cooperation in emerging and advanced defence technologies.
He identified cyber security, artificial intelligence-enabled unmanned aerial systems, underwater domain vehicles and complex weapon systems as areas for potential collaboration.
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Taken together, the defence framework agreement, 10 industry-level pacts and discussions on emerging technologies indicate that India and Belgium are seeking to move their defence relationship beyond traditional government-to-government engagement towards a broader partnership involving manufacturing, technology and industry.
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