Tanks, defence attaché, agreements: Belgium keen to firm up defence ties with India
Written By Sidhant Sibal
Published: Mar 05, 2025, 09:06 IST | Updated: Mar 05, 2025, 09:06 IST
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India News: Keen to firm up defence ties with India, Belgium is seeking to conclude a cooperation agreement with Delhi, said visiting Belgium Defence Minister Theo Francken in an interview with WION
Keen to firm up defence ties with India, Belgium is seeking to conclude a cooperation agreement with Delhi. Speaking to WION's Sidhant Sibal, the visiting Belgium Defence Minister Theo Francken said, "We will try to make a defence cooperation agreement this year. We will make a task force in New Delhi, one task force in Brussels, and we will put a military attaché, high ranked officer in the embassy here as soon as possible".
The minister is part of an ongoing visit of Belgium economic mission to India, led by Princess Astrid. The mission has over 300 delegates including many Belgium businesses who concluded several MoUs with the Indian side.
On Zorawar tank, designed and developed by the Defence Research and Development Organisation (DRDO) in collaboration with Larsen & Toubro (L&T), the Belgium side assured cooperation. The minister said, "we're working together, and we will make this tank together...It's a big batch, 700 tanks, so it's very important for the protection of the border of India". The Zorawar’s armament includes a 105 mm gun from John Cockerill of Belgium.
WION: How is Belgium supporting Ukraine?
Theo Francken: We are supporting Ukraine, 100%. Military, humanitarian aid, diplomatically we will stand with Ukraine, we will stand with Ukraine in this brutal war of aggression of the state of Russia. We will defend Ukraine, we will stand with Ukraine, and we will help as we have been doing for years, diplomatically, militarily, and humanitarian.
Theo Francken: We are supporting Ukraine, 100%. Military, humanitarian aid, diplomatically we will stand with Ukraine, we will stand with Ukraine in this brutal war of aggression of the state of Russia. We will defend Ukraine, we will stand with Ukraine, and we will help as we have been doing for years, diplomatically, militarily, and humanitarian.
WION: How do you plan to firm up defence relationship with India?
Theo Francken: I had a really good, fruitful meeting with your Prime Minister, also with the minister of defence. We will try to make a defense cooperation agreement this year. We will make a task force in New Delhi, one task force in Brussels, and we will put a military attaché, high ranked officer in the embassy here as soon as possible.
WION: Any update on the cooperation on tanks?
Theo Francken: The Zorawar is a very important tank. It's a high-altitude tank, so it has to work in extreme conditions, minus 15 to above 50 degrees. So it's very important to have really robust equipment. We have experience with John Cockerill defence and a really, really big and important company who's been working with the Indian defence industry for long, long years. We're working together, and we will make this tank together. Hopefully the contract is not really finally passed, but it's looking very good, and we emphasize that also with your Prime Minister, also with the Minister of defense. He knows John Cockerill defence well. Experience is very good, so I hope that it comes to an end. It's a big batch, 700 tanks, so it's very important for the protection of the border of India.
Theo Francken: I had a really good, fruitful meeting with your Prime Minister, also with the minister of defence. We will try to make a defense cooperation agreement this year. We will make a task force in New Delhi, one task force in Brussels, and we will put a military attaché, high ranked officer in the embassy here as soon as possible.
WION: Any update on the cooperation on tanks?
Theo Francken: The Zorawar is a very important tank. It's a high-altitude tank, so it has to work in extreme conditions, minus 15 to above 50 degrees. So it's very important to have really robust equipment. We have experience with John Cockerill defence and a really, really big and important company who's been working with the Indian defence industry for long, long years. We're working together, and we will make this tank together. Hopefully the contract is not really finally passed, but it's looking very good, and we emphasize that also with your Prime Minister, also with the Minister of defense. He knows John Cockerill defence well. Experience is very good, so I hope that it comes to an end. It's a big batch, 700 tanks, so it's very important for the protection of the border of India.
WION: And you plan to invite the Indian defence minister, Indian Navy ships to Belgium?
Theo Francken: So, I invite the Navy ships to come to the Navy days in Belgium. It's a really important event, an annual event, for hundreds of thousands of people in Belgium, they love our defence, they love our Navy. And I hope to see an Indian Navy ship coming. We will have a port call, and Belgian frigates can visit Indian ports, in a signal of collaboration, military collaboration, it is very important. I invited the minister of defence to sign the cooperation agreement in Brussels, hopefully before the end of the year, and otherwise I will come. I will, it will be lovely to come again to New Delhi.
Theo Francken: So, I invite the Navy ships to come to the Navy days in Belgium. It's a really important event, an annual event, for hundreds of thousands of people in Belgium, they love our defence, they love our Navy. And I hope to see an Indian Navy ship coming. We will have a port call, and Belgian frigates can visit Indian ports, in a signal of collaboration, military collaboration, it is very important. I invited the minister of defence to sign the cooperation agreement in Brussels, hopefully before the end of the year, and otherwise I will come. I will, it will be lovely to come again to New Delhi.
WION: Summing up, how important is this economic mission?
Theo Francken: Indo-Pacific is the future, and Indo-Pacific is a very important region, also for Europe and the Atlantic region. So, we will collaborate. It's really important. It was very good. You're a warm welcoming people. You're beautiful people. And I will be pleased to come again to New Delhi, to your beautiful country.
Theo Francken: Indo-Pacific is the future, and Indo-Pacific is a very important region, also for Europe and the Atlantic region. So, we will collaborate. It's really important. It was very good. You're a warm welcoming people. You're beautiful people. And I will be pleased to come again to New Delhi, to your beautiful country.
WION: What do you mean by Indo-Pacific? Are you talking about the concerns about the Indo-Pacific? What is the pivot of Belgium towards the Indo-Pacific?
Theo Francken: I think there's a lot of threats. We are living in a geopolitical, very dangerous situation in Europe, but also here. And I think it's important that we collaborate. You're the biggest democracy in the world. We have a democracy, a very old democracy. We have the oldest constitution of the world. So I hope that we can work together.
Theo Francken: I think there's a lot of threats. We are living in a geopolitical, very dangerous situation in Europe, but also here. And I think it's important that we collaborate. You're the biggest democracy in the world. We have a democracy, a very old democracy. We have the oldest constitution of the world. So I hope that we can work together.