India and Belgium Sign Defence Deals for Joint Military Manufacturing

India and Belgium signed multiple defence agreements on Thursday, including pacts for joint military manufacturing in India, following talks between Defence Minister Rajnath Singh and Belgian Minister Theo Francken. Belgium also conveyed it will not supply critical military hardware to Pakistan. The agreements include a defence framework pact and ten industry collaborations to produce Belgian military hardware, such as rockets, in India. The ministers reviewed defence and industrial cooperation, agreeing to expand training and capacity-building, while discussing regional security and maritime collaboration in the Indo-Pacific. Francken cited India's strategic importance along key trade routes and its role as a major Indo-Pacific military power. He also raised concerns about Russia's war in Ukraine and China's assertiveness, while Minister of State Sanjay Seth highlighted potential cooperation in cyber security and unmanned systems.