Belgium Sees India as Country of the Future

India and Belgium have agreed to establish a Joint Commission to strengthen their mutual cooperation in the economic, industrial, scientific and technological fields. As agreement to this effect was signed in New Delhi recently by the Commerce Minister, Mr. Arun Nehru, and the visiting Belgian Foreign Trade Minister, Mr. Urbain, who said there was scope for diversification of trade in terms of both increasing the share of Indian exports to Belgium and diversification of the structure of trade through cooperation in new areas such as joint ventures. He said the excellent maritime and air links between the two countries should facilitate this process, adding that there would soon be additional weekly flights from Belgium to Bombay.
Later, addressing a news conference, Mr. Urbain gave the assurance that unified Europe for trade and investment by the end of 1992 would not ignore its commitments to developing countries, particularly India.
He said that a broad consensus was emerging among the EEC countries for the gradual removal of multifibre arrangement. This would promote India’s textile exports because Indian textiles were both competitive and of high quality. He said Belgium companies were looking for joint ventures as they regarded India as the “country of the future”.