NSA Ajit Doval Engages Belgian Delegation as India and Belgium Expand Counter-Terrorism and Defence Partnership

National Security Adviser Ajit Doval engaged with the visiting Belgian delegation during Prime Minister Bart De Wever’s visit to India as New Delhi and Brussels moved to deepen cooperation across counter-terrorism, defence, law enforcement and emerging security challenges.

Belgian Defence and Foreign Trade Minister Theo Francken’s official programme included discussions with Doval on the rapidly changing security environment and prospects for closer military cooperation. Doval also participated in the broader high-level India-Belgium talks at Hyderabad House, where security and defence formed an important part of the bilateral agenda.

The visit produced several concrete outcomes that could give the security relationship a more institutional structure. India and Belgium agreed to explore the establishment of a Joint Working Group on Counter-Terrorism to improve cooperation against evolving terrorist threats. Both sides also reiterated the need for stronger international action against terrorist organisations, their financing networks and safe havens.

Belgian Prime Minister Bart De Wever expressed solidarity with India in its fight against terrorism, including cross-border terrorism, and reiterated Belgium’s condemnation of the April 2025 terrorist attack in Pahalgam.

Law-enforcement cooperation was strengthened through an agreement between India’s Central Bureau of Investigation and the Belgian Federal Police. The arrangement is intended to expand cooperation against transnational organised crime, cybercrime and related threats while facilitating information exchange, capacity building, sharing of best practices and efforts to trace fugitives.

Defence ties also received a significant boost with a Letter of Intent between the two defence ministries covering regular exchanges, staff talks, military education and training, research cooperation and defence-industrial partnerships. India and Belgium also agreed to deepen discussions on maritime security, emerging technologies and developments in the Indo-Pacific.

The wider defence engagement included talks between Defence Minister Rajnath Singh and Theo Francken, with both sides examining opportunities for greater training, capacity building and defence-industry cooperation. An India-Belgium Defence CEOs Roundtable separately encouraged companies from the two countries to explore co-development, co-production and manufacturing partnerships.

Taken together, Doval’s engagement with the Belgian side formed part of a broader effort to move India-Belgium security relations beyond periodic political consultations toward more structured cooperation in counter-terrorism, policing, defence technology and strategic security.