New Delhi, 3 September 2026:
“Free and Fair Trade brings peace, progress, and prosperity”, stated H.E Bart De Wever, Hon’ble Prime Minister of the Kingdom of Belgium, at an exclusive interaction organised by Confederation of Indian Industry and the Embassy of the Kingdom of Belgium, India on 3 September, 2026 in New Delhi.
Honourable Prime Minister, spoke about India-Belgium’s age-old history which goes back centuries. “The story of modern Indo-European relations, then, began with trade. From trade came curiosity; from curiosity came knowledge; and out of that knowledge came something remarkable: the discovery of common ground where nobody had thought to look for it”, he said, laying the ground for describing trade between our two countries. “Today, India and Europe are speaking the language of trade with renewed conviction, a language of peace, of progress, and of prosperity.”
Belgium exports nearly four-fifths of its GDP annually, underscoring its reliance on open markets. The recent EU-India trade agreement, covering 2 billion consumers and a quarter of global GDP, was hailed as a strategic trust.
Furthermore, he spoke of India being a major democratic power and a leader in innovation, and Belgium leading through its advanced industry, its scientific excellence, and its role as a logistical hub, which together provides an extraordinary opportunity. These opportunities lie in several sectors, some of which Hon’ble Prime Minister mentioned as being food and agriculture; critical minerals, chemistry and industry; medicine; energy; technology and innovation; and defence.
These strategic sectors make our economies more resilient, accelerate the sustainable transition, and create real value.
Hon’ble Prime Minister referred to Belgium as being Europe’s logistical and political gateway. “The port of Antwerp-Bruges is the second port of Europe, and the shortest distance there is between a ship's hold and the European continental market”, he stated.
In his closing remarks, Prome Minister Wever, spoke about trade being fair and free and what it all means.
“Where trade is free and fair, tomorrow brings peace; Where trade is free and fair, tomorrow brings progress; And where trade is free and fair, tomorrow brings prosperity.”
The interaction was also addressed by Mr Baba Kalyani, Founding President, Society of Indian Defence Manufacturers (SIDM); Chair, Strategic and International Affairs, CII and Chairman & Managing Director, Bharat Forge Limited, who highlighted the growing trade relationship between Belgium and India, with bilateral merchandise trade amounting to USD 31 billion.
The discussions that followed emphasised upon the importance of reducing dependence on non-democratic nations and leveraging mutual gains through multilateralism and respect.
Mr Chandrajit Banerjee, Director General, CII was also addressing the interaction.
“Belgium is not just a gateway to Europe. It is valued as an economic as well as a technology partner. The road ahead, as we see it, moves from concentrated trade to diversified, resilient value chains.”
The discussions highlighted that the focus should shift from traditional buyer–seller transactions towards co-design, co-development and co-manufacturing, leveraging Belgium’s strengths in world-class research and engineering and India’s scale and capabilities.
CII also proposed stronger institutional cooperation between its logistics institute and the Port of Antwerp, aimed at exchanging expertise, building capacity and developing talent. Joint research, investment, skill development and trusted standards, which would further strengthen connectivity and create a more future-ready India–Belgium partnership.
H.E Pranay Verma, Ambassador of India to Belgium, Luxembourg and the European Union and H E Didier Anna L Vanderhasselt, Ambassador of Belgium to India, were also present with the Belgium delegation.