PM Modi meets Indian diamond traders from Antwerp

While stating that diamonds remain India's historic link with Belgium, Prime Minister Narendra Modi today invited the key European nation's business leaders to invest in India's IT and infrastructure sectors.
"Diamonds are, of course, an old link between us. It provides employment to many in India," External Affairs Ministry Spokesperson Vikas Swarup said in a tweet quoting the Prime Minister.
Almost 84 per cent of the world's rough diamonds pass through Antwerp and the Belgian city is today the world's largest diamond trading centre with a turnover of over USD 54 billion.
Indian traders own a large part of this diamond trade in Antwerp.

"Reflecting on the wide range of our engagements, PM says it is not just diamonds that can bring shine to our partnership!," Swarup said in another tweet.
Modi also spoke on the various aspects of cooperation such as renewable energy, science and technology, space research, IT, tourism, biotechnology, shipping and ports.

"I feel that a progressive path to India-EU Trade and Investment Agreement can enable all to benefit from India's strong economic growth," the Prime Minister said as he invited Belgian corporates and businesses to explore opportunities in India, the world's fastest growing economy.
Recalling India's historic links with Belgium, the Prime Minister said, "We have ties of blood with Belgium. 100 years ago 130,000 soldiers from India fought in Belgium and 9,000 made the supreme sacrifice".

Modi's visit to Belgium comes days after the March 22 terror attack here in which at least 32 people were killed, including an Indian, Raghavendran Ganeshan, who was an Infosys employee from Bengaluru.
The two leaders hoped that efforts would be "undertaken to
maintain air connectivity between Belgium and India either through direct flight or through code-share operations".
They took note of the vibrant passenger traffic between the two countries as well as recognised the need for direct passenger flights, the joint statement said.
The leaders also welcomed the ongoing negotiations to cooperate in the area of Information Communication Technology and Electronics (ICT&E) and look forward to early conclusion of an agreement, the statement said.

The cooperation would touch upon various areas including including e-governance/mobile governance, cyber security, institutional framework between major research institutions, education and training in ICT.
The two Prime Ministers "welcomed the progress under the MoU on renewable energy between the competent Belgian authorities at federal and regional levels and the Ministry of New and Renewable Energy of India", the statement said.
The inaugural meeting of the joint working group was held on March 14 where smart cities, waste to energy, small wind turbines, water purification technologies involving renewable energy and zero emission buildings were identified as priority areas for joint collaboration.

According to the statement, the leaders took positive note of the active cooperation in science and technology under the intergovernmental agreement between India's Department of Science and Technology and the Belgian Federal Science Policy Office.
Modi and his counterpart welcomed the technical activation of an optical infrared telescope in Devasthal in India "as a concrete demonstration of successful collaboration".
It has been jointly developed by ARIES (Aryabhatta Research Institute of Observational Sciences) of India and the Belgian company AMOS (Advanced Mechanical and Optical Systems)
Among others, the two leaders welcomed the upcoming signature of the finalised memorandum of understanding between the Department of Biotechnology of India and the Research Foundation - Flanders (FWO) for cooperation in the field of biotechnology.

Both sides welcomed the imminent extension of the agreement between the Government of Flanders and the Shipping Ministry for another two years.
There is also ongoing collaboration between the Port of Antwerp and the Jawaharlal Nehru Port Trust to develop a joint training centre under the MoU signed in February 2015.