- India and Belgium discussed enhancing civil aviation cooperation including direct air connectivity options
- Civil Aviation Minister Ram Mohan Naidu and Belgian PM Bart De Wever held talks on pharma air cargo
- Belgian PM visited India from Sept 2-4, meeting PM Narendra Modi to boost trade and investment ties
India and Belgium discussed ways to strengthen civil aviation cooperation, including options for direct air connectivity, improvements in pharmaceutical air cargo and advanced air mobility initiatives.
Civil Aviation Minister Ram Mohan Naidu held talks with Belgian Prime Minister Bart De Wever on the issue, according to an official statement.
The discussions covered options for direct air connectivity between the two countries, improvements in air cargo operations for the high-value pharmaceutical sector and advanced air mobility initiatives, according to an IANS report.
During his three-day official visit to India from Sept. 2 to Sept. 4, the Belgian prime minister also held high-level bilateral talks with Prime Minister Narendra Modi to deepen trade and investment ties between the two countries.
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"Honored to meet Prime Minister of Belgium. Discussed further strengthening of India-Belgium cooperation in civil aviation, including direct air connectivity, air cargo for the high-value pharmaceutical sector and Advanced air mobility," the minister posted on X.
"With the India–EU FTA negotiations concluded under the leadership of Hon'ble Prime Minister @narendramodi, there is tremendous potential to deepen India–Belgium trade and investment ties further," Naidu added.
India-EU FTA Could Boost Trade
The India-EU trade agreement, described by policymakers as the "mother of all deals", was announced in January after nearly two decades of negotiations.
The agreement is currently undergoing legal scrutiny and procedural formalities before it can be formally signed and implemented.
Commerce and Industry Minister Piyush Goyal recently said India and the European Union are expected to sign the long-awaited FTA by December this year, with the agreement likely to come into force between February and March next year.
The deal is expected to provide Indian businesses with access to almost the entire European market at near-zero duty levels, significantly boosting export opportunities.
Around 93% of Indian exports are expected to receive duty-free access under the proposed agreement, which was concluded in principle earlier this year following prolonged negotiations between India and the 27-member European Union bloc.
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India's labour-intensive sectors, including fisheries, textiles and footwear, are expected to benefit significantly. Exports of chemicals and pharmaceutical products could also increase.
India, meanwhile, is expected to eliminate tariffs on 86% of tariff lines, accounting for 93% of the value of imports covered under the agreement.
The deal marks a significant milestone for India's trade sector and could further strengthen economic ties with one of the country's largest trading partners.
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