PM Modi speaks to Belgian counterpart on India-EU partnership, bilateral ties

New Delhi, Mar 26: Prime Minister Narendra Modi on Tuesday spoke to Belgian Prime Minister Alexander De Croo and discussed ways to further strengthen bilateral ties while congratulating him on the successful hosting of the First Nuclear Energy Summit.

In a telephone conversation, the two leaders affirmed their commitment to further bolster the India–EU Strategic Partnership under the ongoing Belgian Presidency of the Council of the European Union.

“Spoke to Belgium PM @alexanderdecroo. Congratulated him on the success of the First Nuclear Energy Summit in Brussels. Exchanged views on strengthening bilateral ties; advancing India-EU Partnership under Belgian Presidency; and cooperation on regional and global issues,” Prime Minister Modi wrote in a post on X on Tuesday.

Prime Minister Modi and his Belgian counterpart reviewed the “excellent relations” between India and Belgium and discussed ways to further strengthen the bilateral partnership in diverse sectors.

These included trade, investment, clean technologies, semiconductors, pharmaceuticals, green hydrogen, IT, defence, and ports, among others.

They agreed upon the need to enhance cooperation and support for the early restoration of peace and security in the West Asia region and the Russia-Ukraine war, a statement from the Prime Minister’s Office said.

Exchanging views on regional and global developments, the two leaders agreed to remain in touch.

The first-ever Nuclear Energy Summit, held in Brussels last week, was jointly organised by the International Atomic Energy Agency (IAEA) and Belgium.

For the summit, global leaders came together to reaffirm their commitment to nuclear energy as a way to reduce carbon emissions and meet development goals.

In a statement delivered at the summit, India said that as a responsible nuclear power with advanced technology, it remains committed to expanding peaceful applications of nuclear technology, both in the power and non-power sectors, while ensuring the security of nuclear and radiological materials.

“India has a robust nuclear safety culture and impeccable safety record. India will continue to support the Agency in its efforts to provide a robust, sustainable and visible global nuclear safety and security framework,” Ajit Kumar Mohanty, Chairman, Atomic Energy Commission, said.

“Our aim is for nuclear energy to have significant share in electricity mix of India by the year 2047 when India celebrates 100 years of independence.”

Mohanty added that as a medium-term target, India aims to achieve tripling nuclear power generation capacity by 2030 from around 7.5 GW at present.

Speaking of India’s three-stage nuclear power programme, India in a statement at the summit said that the country is committed to full international civil nuclear cooperation for the development needs of the nation, and is engaged in discussions with foreign companies to further expand the nuclear energy programme.