The Prime Ministers of India and Belgium have announced plans to create a ‘Belgium-India Joint Working Group’ aimed at strengthening collaboration in counter-terrorism. This initiative comes in response to the increasing complexity of terrorist threats facing both nations. The proposed group seeks to enhance bilateral cooperation and share intelligence to combat these evolving challenges effectively.
“The two leaders reviewed the full spectrum of bilateral relations, with a focus on defence, trade, investment, innovation, semiconductors, fintech, critical minerals, people-to-people ties, and academic and research cooperation. They also exchanged views on regional and global issues of mutual interest and reaffirmed their commitment to further deepen the close and multifaceted India-Belgium partnership,” the Ministry of External Affairs (MEA) posted on X. This was among the key points discussed between Prime Minister Narendra Modi and his Belgian counterpart Bart De Wever who is on a two-day visit to India between September 2 and 4. The two leaders further agreed that the international community must act together, against terrorists and terrorist entities including those designated by the UNSC 1267 sanctions regime, terrorist networks, their safe havens and their financing, including through the UN and FATF, the government said.
“Both leaders underscored their commitment to a comprehensive/global approach to counterterrorism and affirmed that terrorism, in any form and manifestation and anywhere, could never be justified, and called for its perpetrators to be held accountable in accordance with international law.” the Indian government said in a statement on Thursday. “In this context, they expressed their intention to explore the establishment of a Belgium-India Joint Working Group on Counter-Terrorism with a view to enhancing bilateral cooperation in addressing evolving terrorist threats,” the government statement said.
