EAM S Jaishankar meets with Belgium’s foreign minister, Maxime Prevot, at Hyderabad House

EAM S Jaishankar met with Belgium’s foreign minister, Maxime Prevot, at Hyderabad House on Monday prior to his meeting with Princess Astrid. 

He started his address by saying, “Of course, we have a historical connection here. We have war memorials to Indian soldiers on your lands. What has been, I think a very good, steady relationship in a range of issues, trade, industry, education, innovation, and culture today has the possibility of growing in a more contemporary format”

“We are looking and discussing semiconductors and AI and clean energy and research and innovation and I’m particularly pleased that we also have an opportunity to welcome her Royal Highness Princess Astrid and the economic mission to have I think close to 360 businesses coming is something really impressive and I must say that it will give them an opportunity to assess what is happening in India to take advantage of make in India designing in India researching in India innovating in India and we are very confident that the economic mission will actually lead to a higher level of cooperation,“ he added.

He concluded by saying, “I would also like to use the time today to discuss important geopolitical issues. The world is more than normally interesting at these times. Therefore, I extend a warm welcome.”

Princess Astrid is on a Belgian Economic Mission to India, travelling with a delegation of 335 members and 180 companies. The itinerary released by the MEA’s statement earlier had also highlighted that the princess was visiting the Travancore Palace in New Delhi. The palace is the former residence of the Maharaja of Travancore, at Kasturba Gandhi Marg in the national capital. 

On Monday, she will be meeting External Affairs Minister S Jaishankar at noon at Hyderabad House. Later, on March 4, Tuesday, she will be meeting with Prime Minister Narendra Modi. Following the official meeting, on March 5-6, the Princess will be participating in programs in Mumbai, Maharashtra. Following the meeting, on the next day, she will be having a courtesy meeting with Maharashtra governor C P Radhakrishnan.