Belgian Princess Astrid said Belgium recognises India’s growing strategic role and fully supports its aspirations for a balanced and inclusive global order. File
| Photo Credit: AP
Belgium recognises India’s growing strategic role and fully supports its aspirations for a balanced and inclusive global order, Belgian Princess Astrid said, calling for deeper bilateral engagement in sectors such as clean energy technology and defence.
Ms. Astrid is in India leading a high-level economic mission that is aimed at significantly shoring up bilateral trade and investment cooperation.
As the gateway to Europe, we offer Indian businesses strategic access to the EU market, while India’s growing economy presents exciting opportunities for Belgian companies in key sectors such as renewable energy, port logistics, high-technology, defence and life sciences, she said.
The Princess said at an event on Monday (March 3, 2025) night that India’s modernisation is more than economic growth as it is about “embracing the future” while preserving its identity.
“Belgium and Europe are proud to support this transformation, offering expertise and collaboration in sustainability, technology, and innovation,” she said.
“Belgium recognises India’s growing strategic role and fully supports its aspirations for a balanced and inclusive global order,” she added.
Ms. Astrid said “Belgium is here not only as a loyal partner” but also as part of a broader European vision.” Strengthening the ties between the European Union and India is crucial, she noted.
“A trade and cooperation agreement will bring long-term prosperity, and Belgium fully supports this process,” she said referring to the proposed India-EU free trade pact.
“Beyond trade, we must foster talent exchange. Scientists, students, and entrepreneurs should collaborate more to drive innovation,” she said.
Princess Astrid also recalled her visit to India in 2013. “This visit is special for me, as it marks my return to India for a second Belgian economic mission.”
“My first visit in 2013 left me a lasting impression, and since then, I have followed the remarkable evolution of our nations,” she said.
Noting that Belgium and India share a dynamic relationship, built on trade, innovation, and a common vision for the future, she said her country, though small in size, is a nation of “openness and expertise”.
“I encourage all of you to strengthen ties, build new opportunities, and shape the future together,” Ms. Astrid told the audience comprising top diplomats, business honchos and academics from both countries.
“Let us work together, with trust and ambition, towards a new horizon of opportunity. Let us be fellow travellers ! This is the spirit of our mission,” she said.
The princess also referred to historical connections between India and Belgium.
“India’s wisdom has also influenced global thinking. Your Emperor Ashoka, after witnessing the devastations of war, chose peace over conflict, replacing the sound of the war drum with the sound of Dhamma.”
“This message of justice and respect remains relevant today more than ever,” she said.
“Likewise, the words of Rabindranath Tagore, India’s first Nobel Laureate in Literature, your writer-poet in 1913 continue to inspire us: ‘Where the mind is without fear and the head is held high, where knowledge is free…'”.
“These lines reflect our shared aspiration for a future built on wisdom, peace, and progress for all of us,” the Belgian Princess said.
Published – March 04, 2025 04:59 pm IST
