Belgium keen on having nuclear ties with India

Bangalore, Mar 22 (UNI) Close on the heels of the Indo-US nuclear deal, Belgium has said it is keen on promoting nuclear ties with India and is closely watching the developments in the US Congress regarding grant of approval to the historic agreement.

Mr Jean Louis Van Belle, a senior Belgian diplomat in India, who was here along with a delegation from the Belgian province of Walloon, told UNI that trade between the two nations was dominated by diamond, but Belgium was keen to enhance its area of cooperation to other areas such as science and technology, space and nuclear power.

Stating that Belgium also had an advanced nuclear programme with 70 per cent of the power generated being through the nuclear route, he said it had the capability in all sectors and was keen on joining hands with India. However, moves in this regard would be initiated only after the outcome of the Indo-US nuclear deal was known, he added.

The dignitary said Belgium, the fourth leading member of the European Space Agency, wanted to have a former inter-governmental tie-up with India for joint space programmes. There was a possibility of a broad framework on collaboration between the countries materialising in May this year when a high-level Belgium delegation was expected to visit India and it would be followed by sectoral agreements, he indicated.

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