Belgium PM warns Europe on trade threats, cites India's earlier warning

Belgian Prime Minister Bart De Wever said Europe experienced a "rude awakening" over trade dependency risks, acknowledging India had warned European countries earlier but was ignored. He made the remarks while discussing a deeper India-Europe strategic partnership. De Wever noted both sides face similar challenges from economic dependencies being weaponized, saying "we do not like dependencies becoming weaponized against us." He described India as the world's largest and fastest-growing economy, calling it the number-one partner for Europe, contrasting it with mature economies like Japan. In a veiled dig at China, De Wever said the country that profited most from dumping overcapacity "does not lie very far from here." He emphasized Europe and India should choose partnership decisively in a world where countries are pressured to pick camps.